Parkinson's disease: a motor control study using a wrist robot

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the most common surgical procedure for patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). DBS has been shown to have a positive effect on PD symptoms; however, its specific effects on motor control are not yet understood. We introduce the novel use of a wrist robot in studying the effects of stimulation on motor performance and learning. We present results from patients performing reaching movements in a null field and in a force field with and without stimulation. We discuss special cases where robotic testing reveals otherwise undiagnosed impairments, and where clinical scores and robot-based scores display opposing trends.