Impaired somatosensory processing could contribute to handgrip limitation following stroke. The aim of this study was to examine the association between somatosensory function measured by psychophysical tests and clinical measures of handgrip limitation poststroke. Forty-five people with stroke who could perform a pinch grip task were recruited from rehabilitation settings. Ability to discriminate surface friction, and to match object weight were quantified using psychophysical methods. Handgrip limitation was measured using items of the Motor Assessment Scale, Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test and the Hand Function Survey. Impaired discrimination of surface friction was moderately to weakly associated with handgrip limitation (rs = .36 to .55). In contrast, an association between degree of impairment in matching weight and handgrip limitation poststroke was not observed (rs < .24). The findings suggest that processing of tactile cues arising between the object and skin when training handgrip ability may be beneficial for people with stroke.

Objective: To examine hand preference, hand skill and hand strength in university undergraduates in order to determine the most reliable index of handedness.

Method: The Edinburgh Inventory, a group test of handedness by marking dots in circles, and a standard dynamometer were used with 248 (148 female, 100 male) subjects.

Results: No statistically significant correlations were found between hand skill and strength, or between hand preference and strength. A significant correlation between skill and preference was found in the male right-handed group of 93 students.

Conclusion: It is not possible to demonstrate whether preference or skill is the better index of handedness; a standardised method for assessment of hemispheric dominance for handedness is required; in the meantime the criterion used in a specific study should be explicitly stated in any citation of that study.