# The Contribution of Eye-Hand Coordination Impairment to Functional Deficits in Stroke

> **NIH NIH R21** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2022 · $226,200

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Current standard of care in post-stroke upper-limb motor training has measurably reduced impairment and
increased both active range of motion and movement quality. However, such improvements rarely generalize
to performance gains for activities of daily living and functional independence. One of the hallmarks of
functional arm movement is the seamless integration of visual inputs and limb control, mediated by the ocular
motor system. However, this important foundation of functional performance and recovery has not been
incorporated into stroke rehabilitation. This gap exists because not enough is known about basic eye-hand
coordination (EHC), associated neuroanatomy, and how EHC is affected by stroke. Our preliminary data
provide strong evidence that specific eye-hand coordination deficits can result from MCA stroke. The eye-hand
coordination system is currently not addressed in neurorehabilitation research or clinical rehabilitation because
of a lack of understanding of the mechanisms that underlie this coordination and how such mechanisms may
be affected by stroke. This proposal will examine the neuroanatomical foundations of eye-hand coordination
and how these networks are affected by middle cerebral artery stroke. The results are expected to provide a
foundation for improved understanding of eye-hand coordination in functional deficits and functional recovery,
post-stroke. This advanced understanding should provide the basis for a line of translational research that will
lead to new clinical assessments and interventions to address eye-hand coordination deficits in stroke
survivors. This knowledge may, in turn, address the current gap between motor recovery and functional
recovery in stroke survivors with eye-hand coordination dyscoordination (EHdC). Our primary hypotheses are
that MCA stroke can produce deficits in EHC through damage to specific frontoparietal circuits, and that
changes in these circuits can predict functional recovery following stroke. We will address these hypotheses
through the following two Aims. In Aim 1, we will determine the contribution of EHdC to motor recovery and
function in MCA stroke. Hypothesis: MCA stroke produces EHC deficits that interfere with functional upper-limb
recovery and functional independence. Aim 2: To identify microstructural changes to frontoparietal networks
related to motor recovery and EHdC in MCA stroke. Hypothesis: Microstructural integrity in MCA stroke will
relate to dyscoordination (mistiming). The findings from this proposal will detail the functional neuroanatomy
underlying eye-hand coordination, and the functional implications of lesions in this system to functional
performance. This foundation of knowledge will provide for a translational line of research to determine
contributions of eye-hand coordination to functional deficits and functional stroke recovery.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10528018
- **Project number:** 1R21HD107353-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** John Ross Rizzo
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $226,200
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-13 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10528018

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10528018, The Contribution of Eye-Hand Coordination Impairment to Functional Deficits in Stroke (1R21HD107353-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10528018. Licensed CC0.

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