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Monkey Hand Postural Synergies During Reach-to-Grasp in the Absence of

Vision of the Hand and Object

Article in Journal of Neurophysiology · June 2004

DOI: 10.1152/jn.00653.2003 · Source: PubMed

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J Neurophysiol 91: 2826 –2837, 2004.
First published February 4, 2004; 10.1152/jn.00653.2003.
Monkey Hand Postural Synergies During Reach-to-Grasp in the Absence of
Vision of the Hand and Object
Carolyn R. Mason,1 Lalin S. Theverapperuma,2 Claudia M. Hendrix,1 and Timothy J. Ebner1
Departments of 1Neuroscience and 2Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
Submitted 8 July 2003; accepted in final form 28 January 2004
Mason, Carolyn R., Lalin S. Theverapperuma, Claudia M. Hen-
drix, and Timothy J. Ebner. Monkey hand postural synergies during
reach-to-grasp in the absence of vision of the hand and object. J
Neurophysiol 91: 2826 –2837, 2004. First published February 4, 2004;
10.1152/jn.00653.2003. Understanding how the CNS controls reach-
to-grasp will require behavioral and neurophysiological studies of
reach-to-grasp in the monkey, including the evaluation of whole-hand
grasp with explicit force requirements. In this study, monkeys per-
formed a reach-to-grasp task in which the size, shape, and orientation
of the objects were varied. The monkeys were required to grasp each
object at five force levels based on visual feedback. Seventeen posi-
tions on the wrist and hand were monitored to quantify kinematics.
Hand shaping began with initiation of reach and continued throughout
the reach, matching object properties even without vision of the hand
or object. Grasp aperture scaled to object size. Singular value decom-
position analysis of the marker positions identified two dominant hand
postures. The first eigenvector or “eigenposture” consisted of an open
hand configuration midway between flexion and extension that ex-
plained ⬎93% of the variance. The second eigenposture consisted of
hyperextension of all joints that accounted for another 4 –5% of the
variance. The two eigenpostures were similar across force levels and
between monkeys. Reach kinematics consisted of a U-shaped hand
path with a bell-shaped velocity profile. Trajectory and speed were
independent of grasp force and object properties. In summary, hand
shaping during the reach occurred without vision of the hand or
object, and hand kinematics were not dependent on grasp force.
Furthermore, the reach was independent of grasp force and object
properties. These observations imply that the kinematics of reach-to-
grasp and grasp force are controlled independently. Similar to hu-
mans, monkeys may use a simplifying strategy to reduce the degrees
of freedom of the hand during reach-to-grasp.
INTRODUCTION
Prehension movements of the hand are one of the more
highly developed motor skills of human and non-human pri-
mates. When coupled to the transport capabilities provided by
the arm and its additional degrees of freedom, the result is a
vast behavioral repertoire that ranges from reaching and grasp-
ing, to using tools and manipulating the environment. Under-
standing how the CNS controls reach-to-grasp is a central
question in motor control. Considerable attention has been
given to the use of synergies as a means of reducing the
number of degrees of freedom of the hand during reach-to-
grasp (Mason et al. 2001; Santello and Soechting 1997; San-
tello et al. 1998, 2002).
Movements of the limb, hand, and fingers are highly coor-
dinated. The earliest studies of grasp attempted to define spe-
cific patterns of prehension (Griffiths 1943; McBride 1942;
Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: T. J. Ebner, Dept. of
Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Lions Research Bldg., Room 421,
2001 Sixth St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (E-mail: ebner001@umn.edu).
2826 0022-3077/04 $5.00 Copyright © 2004 The American Physiological Society
Slocum and Pratt 1946) and culminated in Napier’s classifica-
tion of prehension into power and precision grasp. The distinc-
tion between grasps was based on achieving force/object sta-
bility (Napier 1956). Numerous studies have demonstrated that
the evolution of hand shape is coupled tightly to the reach
(Bootsma et al. 1994; Chieffi and Gentilucci 1993; Jeannerod
1984; Paulignan et al. 1990). During perturbations of reach-
to-grasp movements corrective changes in both components
are coupled (Castiello et al. 1993, 1998). The coupling between
transport and object size is particularly evident when reach is
perturbed (Castiello et al. 1993, 1998; Paulignan et al. 1991a).
Similarly, accuracy constraints affect both reach (Bootsma et
al. 1994; Fitts 1954) and grasp (Bootsma et al. 1994). These
findings are consistent with the hypothesis that global syner-
gies are involved in the control of reach-to-grasp.
In humans static and dynamic grasp can be described using
a small number of postural synergies (Mason et al. 2001;
Santello and Soechting 1997; Santello et al. 1998, 2002). Using
either principal component analysis (PCA) or singular value
decomposition (SVD), linear combinations of two to three
basis vectors (hand postures) can describe ⬃75–95% of the
variability of hand shape across different objects and grasp
types, real or mimed movements, and conditions with or with-
out tactile input. The evolving shape of the hand throughout
transport and grasp can be reconstructed from either the prin-
cipal components or eigenpostures (Mason et al. 2001; Santello
et al. 2002). The timing of the contributions of the individual
basis vectors to hand shaping may differ yet remain synchro-
nized during reach (Mason et al. 2001; Santello et al. 2002).
These findings provide further evidence that synergies are
operative during reach-to-grasp, presumably to simplify the
complexity of the control problem (Mason et al. 2001; Santello
et al. 1998, 2002).
Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying the syn-
ergies used to control reach-to-grasp will require neurophysi-
ological studies in the non-human primate. A first step will be
to quantitatively describe reach-to-grasp in the monkey includ-
ing characterizing the kinematics of hand shape, force control,
and grasp synergies as well as the contribution of vision.
Earlier investigations in the monkey have evaluated qualita-
tively the grasp of objects of various shapes and sizes (Gardner
et al. 1999; Murata et al. 1997; Rizzolatti et al. 1988) or force
generated during final lateral pinch grasp (Smith et al. 1975).
Furthermore, most electrophysiological studies on grasp have
evaluated pinch and force control (Maier et al. 1993; Smith and
Bourbonnais 1981; Smith and Lacquaniti 1981; Smith et al.
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment
of page charges. The article must therefore be hereby marked ‘‘advertisement’’
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www.jn.org
 REACH-TO-GRASP IN THE MONKEY
1975). More recently the kinematics of reaching in the monkey
has been evaluated during the grasp of two objects of different
sizes and at three locations (Roy et al. 2000, 2002). The
monkey exhibits a bell-shape velocity profile for its reach and
scales maximum aperture between thumb and index finger to
object size, a behavior similar to humans (Jeannerod 1984;
Paulignan et al. 1990). Studies quantitatively evaluating whole
hand reach-to-grasp in the monkey to a variety of objects with
explicit grasp force control have not been reported.
The contribution of vision of the hand and/or object to hand
shaping and the postural synergies is a fundamental question.
Several studies have addressed this issue in humans. During
grasp tasks, grip apertures scale to object size without vision of
the hand (Jeannerod 1984; Santello and Soechting 1998), al-
though there are some differences in the metrics (Wing et al.
1986). In memory-guided reaching, when objects are not in
view during the movement, hand kinematics did not differ
from those found during visually guided reaching (Santello et
al. 2002). Similarly, hand preshaping has been shown to occur
in the absence of continuous vision of the hand and object
(Schettino et al. 2003; Winges et al. 2003). To our knowledge,
the nature of hand shaping in the absence of vision of the hand
and object has not been investigated in monkeys nor has the
degree to which explicit grasp force requirements modify hand
shaping and the reach.
The present study investigated reach-to-grasp in the monkey
in the absence of vision of the hand and object. Specifically,
this study examined whole-hand grasp across various contact
force levels and object shapes to determine the nature and
determinants of hand synergies in the monkey. Our initial
study on hand shaping in humans found that several factors,
including real versus mimed grasps and grasps with or without
a reach component, did not affect hand eigenpostures and, by
extension, the hand synergies (Mason et al. 2001). These
findings imply that synergies are relatively invariant. The ra-
tionale for including grasp forces in the current study is to
extend that previous work to determine what factors, if any,
affect hand synergies. We expect that contact force, similar to
the other factors studied thus far, will also fail to emerge as
factors effecting higher level operative synergies. Second, un-
derstanding the relationship between hand shaping and grasp
force will be important to our long-term goal of evaluating the
neural modulation during the same reach to grasp task in
monkeys.
In the present study, rhesus monkeys performed a visually
cued reach-to-grasp task to a set of objects with explicit grasp
force requirements. The monkeys were not allowed to view
their hands or the objects, instead information about task
timing and grasp force feedback were provided on a computer
monitor. Monitoring of wrist and hand kinematics revealed the
preshaping in the hand to match object properties. Force con-
trol during static grasp had little influence on reach or grasp
kinematics implying relatively independent control of hand
shape and force. Two hand synergies were defined as account-
ing for most of the kinematic variability. The first hand synergy
was an open hand with the fingers positioned partially flexed
that explained ⬎93% of the variability. The second posture,
one of extension at all joints, contributed another 4 –5% of the
variability. An abstract of some of these findings has been
presented (Mason et al. 2000).
J Neurophysiol • VOL
2827
METHODS
The experimental protocol was approved and monitored by the
University of Minnesota Institutional Animal Care and Use Commit-
tee and conformed to the “Guiding Principles in the Care and Use of
Animals” of the American Physiological Society.
Two rhesus monkeys (1 female, G, at 5.2 kg, 1 male, L, at 6.8 kg)
were trained to reach and grasp objects with an overhand power grasp
using specific force levels. Monkey L was trained using its right hand
on 15 objects, and monkey G was trained using its left hand on 16
objects. Both monkeys had been performing the task for ⬃2 yr
(monkey G for 2 yr and monkey L for 3 yr). The extra object was a
small cube and required a pinch grasp. The animals sat in a primate
chair with their heads fixed and facing a computer monitor (Fig. 1).
The animals initiated a trial by placing their hand on a start pad
located by their side while exerting a force for a randomized period
(1–1.5 s). A red box and two blue bars would then appear on the
monitor. The red box was a go cue that signaled the animals to reach
(15 cm) and grasp the target object. The two blue bars indicated the
force window within which the monkeys were to maintain the grasp
force during the static portion of object grasp (i.e., target object hold).
A red slider bar provided visual feedback to the monkeys of the grasp
force being generated. If the monkey successfully maintained the
specified force level for 1.5 s, it received a juice reward. At the
completion of 25 successful trials, the object was changed. The
monkeys were not able to see their hands or the objects. However,
prior to initiating the first trial of each block, the animals were allowed
to touch the target object. Therefore the animals were informed of the
target object to be used before initiating a new block of trials. The
number of trials needed for the monkey to adapt its hand posture to the
new object was not explicitly analyzed. However, the over-training of
the monkeys and their a priori knowledge (through touch) of which
new object was being presented resulted in little or no adaptation
period during the actual data collection period. Behavioral data col-
lected included specified force level, force generated, and timing
information.
Sixteen objects in four classes were presented in a block design:
four cubes, five rectangular solids, four polygonal prisms, and three
cylinders (see Fig. 2). As noted in the preceding text, one monkey (L)
was not tested on the smallest cube. The objects were constructed of
Lexan and were presented to the animal along the x, y, or z axis. The
x axis was parallel to the intersection of the transverse and sagittal
planes, the y axis was the intersection of the frontal and transverse
planes, and the z axis was parallel to the intersection of the frontal and
sagittal planes. The cubes had the dimensions of 1, 8, 27, and 64 cm3.
The cubes were presented with two faces parallel to the monkey’s
frontal plane. The rectangular solids had volumes of 18 cm3. The
dimensions of the first three rectangular solids were 4.5 ⫻ 2 ⫻ 2 cm
and were presented with the object’s long axis in the x, y, or z axis.
The two remaining rectangular solids had dimensions of 2 ⫻ 3 ⫻ 3
cm and were presented with each object’s short axes in the x axis or
in the y axis. The polygons had a width of 3 cm and approximated
3-cm-diam cylinders as the number of sides increased from 6 to 12 in
increments of 2. The axis of symmetry was oriented in the y-axis. The
fourth class was cylinders of 3-cm-diam ⫻ 3-cm length with the axis
of symmetry in the x, y, or z axes.
A key question being asked was the relationship between the reach
kinematics and grasp force. The animals were required to exert five
different levels of anterior-posterior (AP) grasp force (0.1– 0.3, 0.3–
0.5, 0.5– 0.7, 0.7– 0.9, 0.9 –1.1 N). The narrow range of the force
windows, in addition to the rigorous behavioral training, required the
monkeys to actually grasp the object for finer control of the grip force.
Pulling on the object was not only discouraged but also resulted in
widely fluctuating load forces that made it difficult to meet the task
criteria. Furthermore, the animals were explicitly trained and re-
warded for exerting force on the sensors by grasping and squeezing.
The five repetitions of the five forces were presented pseudorandomly
91 • JUNE 2004 • www.jn.org
2828 C. R. MASON, L. S. THEVERAPPERUMA, C. M. HENDRIX, AND T. J. EBNER
for each object with the requirement that the monkey successfully
complete a trial before a new force window was introduced. A
force-sensing resistor (FSR, Interlink Electronics, Camarillo, CA), 1
cm in diameter was located on the face of the smallest cube opposite
to the monkey to detect the forces applied by the index or middle
fingers. The remaining 15 objects had a 1.27-cm-diam FSR on the
face of each object opposite the monkey. The 5 ⫻ 5 cm start pad was
located by the monkey’s side and had a 3.8 ⫻ 3.8 cm FSR on the
superior surface to detect hand contact.
The three-dimensional (3-D) positions of monkeys’ wrists, hands,
and fingers were recorded using a video-based motion analysis system
(Motion Analysis, Santa Rosa, CA). Seventeen reflective markers
(3-mm diam) were glued to the monkeys’ hands at the following
positions: proximal to the dorsal wrist crease, at the dorsal wrist
crease, at each finger metacarpophalangeal (MCP), proximal interpha-
langeal joints (PIPs) and distal interphalangeal joints (DIPs), and at
the thumb carpometacarpal joint (CMC), thumb MCP and interpha-
langeal joint (IP) (see Fig. 3). Kinematic data collection was triggered
at the onset of the go cue. The markers were monitored with six
cameras throughout the entire reach to grasp (3 s), digitized at 60 Hz,
and tracked throughout reach-to-grasp. The position data were filtered
with a 6-Hz Butterworth filter. Virtual marker locations approximat-
ing the joint centers were then calculated based on measurements of
the dissected forearm and hand of monkey G and the diameter of the
markers. These virtual marker locations were exported for analyses
using Matlab and Excel. Cartoons of the hands and eigenpostures
were constructed using 3-D rendering software [Persistence of Vision
Raytracer (POVray)]. Note that because the distal marker was located
on the DIP the positions of the distal phalanges were not monitored
and not reconstructed.
Analyses
The force traces for each object-force combination were aligned on
force onset. The onset was defined as the 20-ms bin when the force
first exceeded 0.1 N and remained ⬎0.1 N for 400 ms. The aligned
force traces were averaged for each object-force combination. The
time to enter the specified force window, the rate of force production,
J Neurophysiol • VOL
FIG. 1. Reach-to-grasp paradigm. The
monkey sat in front of a video monitor that
displayed information on task requirements
and force feedback. The monkey began with
its hand on the start pad. After a variable
delay, illumination of a large red rectangle
on the right side of the monitor provided a go
cue to initiate the reach-to-grasp. Simulta-
neously, the blue bars to the left of the rect-
angle signaled the level of grasp force re-
quired at the target object. The monkey then
reached and grasped the target object, the
central red slider providing feedback on the
exerted grasp force. The task time line is
shown above the schematic. The initial start
pad hold period (■) varied from 1 to 1.5 s.
Next was the movement period (o) that
lasted ⬍1 s. The target object hold period
(1) followed for 1.5 s.
and the average force during static object hold were calculated from
the average traces. Time to enter the force window was defined from
force onset to when the force trace first exceeded the lower boundary
of the specified force window. The rate of force production was
defined as the slope of the force trace during the first 200 ms of force
production. In addition, the peak grasp-force rate (GFR) was also
calculated and analyzed (Gordon et al. 1993; Salimi et al. 1999) to
further probe the correspondence between the force requirements and
production and the objects grasped. The peak GFR was defined as the
first peak in the grip force rate (e.g., first derivative of the grip force
trace) immediately after force onset. The average force during static
object hold was defined as the average force once the force trace had
stabilized for 500 ms. A within-subject factorial ANOVA with re-
peated-measures across all conditions was utilized. When justified by
significant findings, a post hoc Student’s t-test with an adjusted P
value to account for multiple comparisons was calculated. If the
findings were significant, the magnitude of effect (␻2) was calculated
(Howell 1987) to determine how much of the overall variability could
be explained by the variable of interest. Statistical Analysis Software
was used for all statistical analysis.
The evolution of the hand posture during reach-to-grasp was quan-
tified using three methods. The first method determined the distance
between the thumb IP joint and the middle finger DIP joint. This
measurement does not provide any predictable information on the
digit tip positions. Digit tip positions were not monitored and varied
with the activity of the flexors/extensors action on the distal phalanx.
The distance was used as a measure of grasp aperture. The effects of
objects and force on average peak aperture were compared using an
ANOVA. A Pearsons’s correlation coefficient was calculated between
maximum grasp aperture and object grasp dimension. The second
compared the actual grasps across force levels for each object and
across the objects for a given force level using root-mean square
(RMS) differences of the 17 marker locations (Mason et al. 2001).
The results were plotted against time. The ranges of the mean RMS
differences for each set of curves were calculated.
The third method utilized SVD analysis (Hendler and Shrager
1994) to detect patterns of hand posture during reach-to-grasp across
a number of objects. Similar to PCA (Glaser and Ruchkin 1976),
91 • JUNE 2004 • www.jn.org
 REACH-TO-GRASP IN THE MONKEY
which also identifies patterns, one advantage of SVD is that it pro-
vides information on the temporal evolution of the identified basis
postures throughout reach to grasp. The calculation of the SVD was
based on the matrix X constructed of the x, y, and z positions of the
17 hand markers as a function of time. This included the 12 frames
before movement onset, the frames during movement, and ⱖ60
frames (1 s) of static grasp for each of the 16 objects. Matrix X was
then deconvolved into three matrixes using X ⫽ U⌺VT. Matrix U
consists of the patterns of the marker positions that defined the
eigenvectors (i.e., eigenpostures). Matrix V consists of the temporal
weightings of the eigenpostures, a sequence of values that defined the
contribution of each eigenposture throughout the reach-to-grasp. The
superscript T denotes the transpose. Last, ⌺ is a diagonal matrix
consisting of the eigenvalues for the eigenposture-temporal weighting
pair in a greatest-to-least rank order. The eigenvalues indicate the
relative amount of variance explained by each eigenposture-temporal
weighting pair. The variances were obtained by squaring the eigen-
values and dividing by the sum of squares. The SVD analysis was
completed for each force level separately so as to explicitly compare
the eigenpostures generated across each force levels as well as across
all force levels. Variances accounted for by the eigenpostures were
compared using a corrected ANOVA as were the means of the finger
positions of the eigenpostures. Phase plane plots of the first two
temporal weightings were constructed.
For each reach-to-grasp movement, the hand path was determined
from the wrist crease marker positions and wrist speed (i.e., tangential
velocity) was derived from the positional data. Movement onset was
defined as a wrist speed ⬎1 cm/s and movement end was defined as
J Neurophysiol • VOL
2829
⬍5 cm/s. Movement end was set at this level so as not to include
adjustments in wrist position made in the early portion of the object
grasp. Each hand path and speed trial were aligned on movement
onset and averaged for the five trials for each object-force calculation.
Using the average hand path, the total distance traveled was deter-
mined from movement onset to movement end and compared across
objects and force levels using a Student’s t-test with correction. The
peak speed and percent time to peak speed were determined from the
average speed profile and compared across objects and force levels
using a Student’s t-test with correction. The magnitude of the effect
size was calculated to determine how much of the overall variability
can be explained by object (Howell 1987).
RESULTS
Grasp force
Both the rate of force production and grasp force were
evaluated for dependence on object. An example of the force
production for all objects and force levels is shown in Fig. 2.
Initially force increased rapidly with an occasional overshoot
above the force window before the onset of the target object
hold period (e.g., 2 lowest force curves for the smallest cube or
the 2nd lowest force curve for the 10-sided polygon). Across
all sessions and for both monkeys, the time to cross the lower
threshold of the force window did not differ significantly
across objects [F(14,14) ⫽ 0.82, P ⬎ 0.05] or force level
FIG. 2. Force (AP) profiles generated by monkey
G for the 16 objects studied at each of the 5 force
levels. Each profile is the average of 5 trials aligned
on force onset (time ⫽ 0 ms). Once the requisite
force level was attained, it was held for a minimum
of 1 s.
91 • JUNE 2004 • www.jn.org
2830 C. R. MASON, L. S. THEVERAPPERUMA, C. M. HENDRIX, AND T. J. EBNER
[F(4,4) ⫽ 4.89, P ⬎ 0.05]. Time to force window did not vary
because, as expected, monkeys generated higher force levels
more rapidly than lower force levels. The rate of force produc-
tion in the first 200 ms was significantly different across force
levels [F(4,4) ⫽ 8.57, P ⬍ 0.05] but not across objects
[F(14,14) ⫽ 0.83, P ⬎ 0.05]. The analysis of peak GFR also
resulted in significant differences across force levels [F(4,4) ⫽
10.32, P ⬍ 0.05] but not across objects [F(14,14) ⫽ 1.10, P ⬎
0.05]. During the target object hold period the forces generated
were distinct for the five force levels [F(4,4) ⫽ 286.86, P ⬍
0.05] but did not differ across objects [F(14,14) ⫽ 0.82, P ⬎
0.05]. Therefore both the generation and maintenance of the
grasp force were independent of the objects.
Hand shape
The shaping of the monkey’s hand during reach-to-grasp
exhibited several of the characteristics documented for hu-
mans, including preshaping during reach (Jeannerod 1981,
1984; Paulignan et al. 1990). Hand shaping occurred in the
absence of vision. Figure 3 illustrates one monkey’s (G) grasp
of four different objects at the middle force level (0.3– 0.5 N)
with its left hand. The shaping of the hand in preparation for
the grasp began early in the reach and continued to evolve as
the hand approached the target. During the reach of the 1 cm3
cube (top), the thumb was initially abducted and then was
gradually brought into opposition so as to oppose the pad of the
index finger. The remaining fingers began to extend at the PIPs
as the monkey lifted its hand off the start pad. The maximum
extent of extension of the MCPs and PIPs occurred after peak
speed as the hand began to close in preparation for the pinch
grasp. In the final hand posture, the thumb and index finger
were positioned in opposition. Hand and wrist positions did not
change during the grasp and holding phase of the task because
the objects were rigidly mounted solid structures with noncom-
pliant force sensors mounted on the object surface.
Finger positions and hand orientations varied with the ob-
jects grasped. During grasp of the remaining objects, the mon-
J Neurophysiol • VOL
key applied force between the index and middle fingers and the
heel of the hand, therefore the thumb remained adducted along
the index finger (Fig. 3). For example, the grasp of the rect-
angular solid (2nd row) required an open hand. Peak extension
of the PIPs was greater than for the 1-cm3 cube. In the final
hand posture, the MCPs were extended and the DIPs of the
index and middle fingers were positioned in very close approx-
imation with the more lateral fingers abducted. The hand
opened in a similar fashion for the polygon (3rd row), before
flexing at the MCPs and PIPs to enclose the object. The upright
cylinder (bottom) was approximately the same size as the
polygon. However, the monkey used a different hand orienta-
tion to grasp the object. The hand started in the standard
position with the forearm pronated and the hand resting on the
start pad. As the hand reached peak speed, the forearm began
to supinate toward the midposition of forearm rotation. In the
final hand position, the hand was in neutral forearm rotation,
the MCPs and PIPs were flexed, and the index and middle
fingers were positioned together to apply force to the FSR.
Each of the four objects required the monkey to orient its hand
differently to effectively grasp and apply force on the target
object. The changes in the orientation of the hand began with
reach onset as is evident when the third and fifth hands of each
row are compared. The hand began pronated on the start pad
and rotated to different degrees toward neutral as the reach
progressed. The variations in orientation are evident in the final
hand postures.
Monkey L, which was trained on 15 objects, used its thumb
in opposition to the fingers in either a precision grasp or power
grasp. Therefore the aperture between the thumb IP joint and
the DIP joint of the third finger was determined and related to
object dimensions. This finger/thumb opposition differed from
the finger/palm opposition favored by monkey G as noted in the
preceding text. Peak apertures for the 15 objects and five force
levels for 5 sessions are shown in Fig. 4A. The peak aperture
was not affected by the grasp force required [F(4,301) ⫽ 0.99,
P ⬎ 0.05]. However, peak aperture was dependent on object
[F(14,301) ⫽ 240.65, P ⬍ 0.05] and scaled linearly (r ⫽ 0.87)
FIG. 3. Hand shapes during grasp of 4 different objects.
Each row of hands (monkey G, left hand) depicts the evolu-
tion of and the final grasp at the middle force level across time
for the object shown to the left. The viewpoint for each frame
is located directly below the hand to best view both the hand
shaping and rotation throughout the reach. Each hand is
separated by 100 ms. Reach speed profiles are shown below.
The spheres indicate the location of the virtual markers.
Proximal wrist virtual marker is not shown.
91 • JUNE 2004 • www.jn.org
 REACH-TO-GRASP IN THE MONKEY
to the target object grasp dimensions (Fig. 4B). Therefore in the
absence of vision the aperture of the hand scaled to the object.
As described in METHODS, several analyses were used to
examine the changes in hand shape as a function of force levels
and objects. The first analysis was based on the average RMS
difference between the 17 markers as a function of force or
object. The RMS differences based on comparing the middle
force levels and the other force levels are shown for four
objects in Fig. 5, A–D. The RMS differences for the different
force requirements were small when at the start pad and for
most of the reach-to-grasp, particularly during the target object
hold period. There was some increase in the RMS values
J Neurophysiol • VOL
2831
FIG. 4. Maximum aperture as a function of
object and grasp force. A: maximum grasp
aperture between the thumb interphalangeal
(IP) joint and the distal IP (DIP) joint of the
middle finger of monkey L are shown by object
and force required. The data are shown for all
sessions. B: maximum aperture plotted against
grasp dimension of the objects.
shortly after movement onset during the reach. For the four
objects shown, the mean RMS difference (averaged throughout
reach-to-grasp) as a function of force was 11.5 mm (range:
4.5–18.7 mm), implying that the required grasp force affected
hand shape minimally. An ANOVA was used to compare the
mean RMS differences for each object as a function of force
for both animal and all sessions. The RMS differences for the
individual objects did not differ significantly (P ⬎ 0.5) with
force.
In contrast, the RMS differences among hand postures were
quite large across the objects. In Fig. 5, E and F, the RMS
differences between the grasp of the upright cylinder and all
FIG. 5. Hand shape as a function of force
and objects. A–D: root mean square (RMS)
difference of the marker positions for the grasp
of 4 objects at the middle force level and each
of the other force levels. Objects are smallest
cube (A), long rectangular solid (B), 12-sided
polygon (C), and upright cylinder (D). E and
F: RMS differences for the grasp of the upright
cylinder and each of the other objects at the
middle force level. Data in E from monkey G
and in F from monkey L. Curves are the aver-
age of 5 trials and are aligned on movement
onset.
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2832 C. R. MASON, L. S. THEVERAPPERUMA, C. M. HENDRIX, AND T. J. EBNER

objects tested at the middle force level (0.3– 0.5 N) for the two
animals are plotted. The mean RMS difference was 63.8 mm
with a range 27.2–184.2 mm. The results show large differ-
ences in hand shape as a function of the objects. The RMS
differences were minimal during the initial hold period, in-
creased during the reach, and were greatest during static hold.
The differences in hand postures for the static grasps of the
different objects were 5–10 times greater than the differences
for the grasps of the same object at the different force levels
(Fig. 5, A–D). An ANOVA was used to compare the mean
RMS differences between the upright cylinder and the other
objects, blocking on session. For each monkey, the mean RMS
difference was significantly difference across the objects [mon-
key G: F(14,36) ⫽ 7.02, P ⬍ 0.05; monkey L: F(13,34) ⫽
20.92, P ⬍ 0.05]. The RMS differences reflect changes in hand
aperture, in hand shape (e.g., relative angles of different joints),
and hand orientation (see Fig. 3) that are highly dependent on
the object grasped and much less dependent on the grasp force.
The second analysis was based on an SVD analysis of hand
postures, deriving “eigenpostures” (Figs. 6 and 7). The first
eigenposture can be characterized as an open hand posture with
the MCPs and PIPs in approximately mid-flexion (Fig. 6). By
definition, E2 is orthogonal to E1 and consisted of hyperex-
tension of the MCPs and PIPs (Fig. 6). The second eigenpos-
ture contributed to the opening and closing the hand during the
reach. Across objects for each force level or across all objects
and force levels, the first eigenposture (E1) explained on av-
erage 93.5% of the variance and the second eigenposture (E2)
explained on average 4.9%. The third eigenposture explained
only 1% of the variance not shown. E1 and E2 were similar
across days and animals (Fig. 7).
The eigenpostures were not dependent on grasp force (Fig.
6). The variance accounted for by E1 and E2 were not signif-
icantly different across force levels [for E1, F(5,5) ⫽ 0.28, P ⬎
0.05; for E2, F(5,5) ⫽ 0.41, P ⬎ 0.05]. Similarly, the means of
the finger positions for the two eigenpostures were not depen-
dent on force [for E1, F(5,5) ⫽ 0.07, P ⬎ 0.05; for E2,
F(5,5) ⫽ 2.44, P ⬎ 0.05]. These findings reinforce the other
observations that grasp force had minimal effect on hand
shape.
Phase plane plots of the temporal weightings of E1 versus
E2 demonstrated how the two components differentially con- FIG. 6. Eigenpostures as a function of grasp force. The 1st row shows E1
tributed to object grasp. In Fig. 8, A–D, the phase plane plots and E2 obtained from the hand position data across all objects and force levels.
for the five force levels and four objects are illustrated. At the The remaining rows illustrate the E1 and E2 across all objects at each force
level. Data are from 1 session of monkey G.
onset of reach, the weighting of E1 decreased while the weight-
ing of E2 increased. This weighting shows that E2 contributed similar for a particular animal, reinforcing the concept that a
to the initial hand opening. Further opening of the hand in- global synergy is operative and that by simply varying the
volved increasing the weight of E1 and slowly decreasing the amplitude and timing of E1 and E2 the hand can be shaped.
weight of E2. After peak opening of the hand, the weighting of The eigenpostures and their temporal weightings suggest that
E2 decreased quickly, initiating the hand closure. The unique the CNS uses a simplifying strategy to control the hand during
shaping of the hand for each object is reflected in the diver- reach-to-grasp. Last, the phase plots varied very little with
gence of the curves after peak speed. For the small cube (Fig. grasp force (Fig. 8, A–D) underscoring the findings that hand
8A), the closure to precision grasp involved the simultaneous shape is independent of force.
decrease in the weighting of E1 and E2 after the end of wrist
movement. This was interrupted by a brief increase in the Reaching
weighting of E1. In contrast, closure of the hand on the
rectangular solid (Fig. 8B) resulted from a rapid decrease of the Wrist paths were highly consistent across force levels and
weighting of E2 that was followed by a rapid decrease in the objects. This occurred without vision of both the hand and
weighting of E1. In contrast, for the 10 sided polygon (Fig. target. As shown in Fig. 9, A and B, the wrist paths to three
8C), E1 and E2 decreased simultaneously. However, the over- objects at the five force levels were slightly curved as the
all shape of the phase plot profiles for different objects were animal reached slightly upward and approached the target
J Neurophysiol • VOL 91 • JUNE 2004 • www.jn.org
 REACH-TO-GRASP IN THE MONKEY
FIG. 7. Consistency of the eigenpostures. The E1s and E2s across all
objects and forces for the 4 sessions with monkey G (A) and the 5 sessions from
monkey L (B).
object from above. The wrist paths for the five force levels
were essentially the same, indicating that the wrist path was
independent of the force level. Conversely, the wrist paths for
all objects were nearly identical as shown in Fig. 9C (monkey
G and the middle force level). The wrist paths began in a tight
cluster diverging only slightly as the final shaping and orien-
tation of the hand occurred for the different objects. Hand path
lengths were not dependent on object [F(14,14) ⫽ 0.89, P ⬎
0.05] or force level [F(4,4) ⫽ 3.91, P ⬎ 0.05] across sessions
or monkeys.
The speed profiles of the wrist consisted of two bell-shaped
components for most objects and force combinations (Fig. 9,
D–F). The initial component was typical for reaching move-
ments (Jeannerod 1984; Paulignan et al. 1990, 1991b) and had
a mean peak speed of 42.8 ⫾ 4.1 (SD) cm/s for monkey G and
51.8 ⫾ 4.6 cm/s for monkey L. As for the hand paths, the speed
profiles were remarkably consistent across force levels for a
given object (Fig. 9, D and E). The required force levels did not
J Neurophysiol • VOL
2833
affect the peak speed [F(4,4) ⫽ 1.41, P ⬎ 0.05]. Peak speed
occurred at 43 and 49% of the movement time for monkeys G
and L, respectively, and was not affected by either object
[F(14,14) ⫽ 0.83, P ⬎ 0.05] or force level [F(4,4) ⫽ 0.52, P ⬎
0.05]. Also, the speed profiles were remarkably similar for
different objects (Fig. 9F). The peak speed the monkey attained
during the reach was affected by object [F(14,14) ⫽ 3.20, P ⬍
0.05], but the magnitude of effect size was small (␻2 ⫽ 0.023).
This magnitude of effect size implies that only 2.5% of the
variability in peak speed is accounted for by the different
objects. Therefore similar to path length, the peak speed and
percent movement to peak speed were not dependent on force
level. The different objects only minimally affected peak
speed.
DISCUSSION
In this study, non-human primates performed reach-to-grasp
using a power grasp to a set of objects. In addition to evalu-
ating power grasp and the shaping of the hand, other unique
aspects of this study were the control and systematic variation
of grasp force, the use of a large number of objects varying in
shape and size, and the extensive kinematic analysis of the
wrist and hand. The monkeys were unable to view their hands
or the objects at anytime during the task, thus removing the
contribution of vision to the hand shaping. The results show
that monkeys shape their hands throughout reach and grasp
similar to humans. The common characteristics include scaling
of the grasp aperture to the dimensions of the objects. The
kinematics of the reach and grasp are independent of the force
placed on the object. The repertoire of hand shapes used can be
accounted for by combining a small number of basis postures
FIG. 8. A-E: phase plane plots of temporal
weightings of E1 against the temporal weight-
ings of E2 for the 5 force levels for the smallest
cube (A), the long rectangular solid (B), the
12-sided-polygon (C), and the upright cylinder
(D). The similarities of the plots for the 5 force
levels indicate that hand shaping is independent
of force requirements in this task. E: the phase
plane plots of the temporal weightings of E1
against the temporal weightings of E2 for
reach-to-grasp of the 16 objects at the middle
force level (monkey G). F: similar phase plane
plots for monkey L. ‚, reach onset; E, peak
speed; ƒ, maximum hand opening; and 䊐, end
of reaching movement and beginning of grasp.
Movement onset and end are indicated as start
and end, respectively.
91 • JUNE 2004 • www.jn.org
2834 C. R. MASON, L. S. THEVERAPPERUMA, C. M. HENDRIX, AND T. J. EBNER
FIG. 9. Wrist paths and speed profiles for different objects and forces. A
and B: 3-dimensional reconstruction of the wrist path for the 5 force levels for
objects 1 (A) and 13 (B). C: wrist paths for all objects at the middle force level.
E, the end of the reach. D and E: speed profiles of the wrist during the
reach-to-grasp for objects 1 (D) and 13 (E) for the 5 force levels. F: speed
profiles for all objects at the middle force level for monkey G. Each wrist path
and speed profile is the average of 5 trials aligned on movement onset from
monkey G.
or hand synergies. These basis postures are also independent of
grasp force.
Hand shaping during reach-to-grasp
Hand shape evolved throughout the entire task sequence. At
the initiation of the reach, the monkeys extended their fingers
to release the start pad. Finger extension during the first phase
of transport has been noted in human grasp (Jeannerod 1981,
1984; Marteniuk et al. 1990; Paulignan et al. 1990). Some
researchers have argued that hand shaping in humans may
actually begin prior to the initiation of reach (Jeannerod and
Biguer 1982; Mason et al. 2001). For the monkeys, the posi-
tions of the fingers and orientation of the hand varied in
preparation for the grasp of different objects as the reach
progressed. Furthermore, the shaping reflected the grasp di-
mension of the object. The hand aperture (based on the span
between the thumb and middle finger) scaled with the object
size. Although scaling of maximum aperture to object size has
been observed previously in humans and the monkey (Bootsma
et al. 1994; Fraser and Wing 1981; Jeannerod 1984; Marteniuk
et al. 1990; Roy et al. 2000, 2002), this study demonstrates that
scaling also occurs to a large group of objects of different
shapes and sizes.
J Neurophysiol • VOL
The entire hand, not just the thumb and index finger, was
shaped for each object. This is evident in the analysis of the
RMS differences of finger positions in which large differences
were observed for the various objects. These differences de-
veloped during the reach and were maintained during the static
grasp period. The differential shaping of the monkey’s hand
was also evident in the phase plane plots of the temporal
weightings for E1 and E2. The trajectories began to diverge
about the time of peak speed and continued to diverge until a
stable grasp is achieved. The divergence represents the differ-
ences in the hand opening and closing for the enclosing of the
object of various sizes and shapes. The occurrence of peak
aperture after the peak speed is similar to the preshaping of the
hand for object grasp in humans (Jeannerod 1984; Paulignan et
al. 1990). These findings are also consistent with human stud-
ies showing that by midway through the reach the hand shape
begins to reflect the object to be grasped and culminates with
object contact (Santello et al. 1998). Like the human (Mason et
al. 2001), the monkeys utilized a specific hand shape for each
object rather than use a default shape or simply opening and
closing the hand around the object.
It is possible that constraints on hand shaping were intro-
duced by the task design due to the placement of the force
sensors on the object, the force production requirements, and
the rigid mounting of the objects. However, these results sug-
gest that the monkeys targeted object grasp strategies over
force production requirements and FSR positioning when shap-
ing the hand. Specifically, hand-shaping preferences varied
across objects and across each monkey for the same object. For
example, monkey G used a precision grasp (e.g., thumb in
opposition of the fingers) only for object 1 but preferred to used
a palm/finger opposition for all remaining objects. In contrast,
monkey L preferred to use either a precision or power grasp
with its thumb in opposition to the fingers. The hand-shaping
preferences across both objects and monkeys is most likely a
reflection of each primates’ grasping preference. Furthermore,
these preferences appear to have more to do with the object
shape, size, and orientation as well as hand size rather than
predominantly on the location of the FSR on the object. If the
monkeys’ movements were predominantly targeted on force,
then it is unlikely that such a variation of hand postures across
both objects and monkeys would exist (this is especially true
given that all FSRs were place in the same frontal position on
all objects). Another constraint imposed by the experimental
design was the rigid fixation of the object. It is probable that
the grasp of a free-standing object would have resulted in
different grasp strategies to ensure stability of the object and
hand. When the same reach-to-grasp task was performed by
human subjects, grasp of free-standing objects resulted in a
greater variability in both hand shaping and grasp force when
compared with the grasp of rigidly mounted objects (Hendrix
and Ebner 2003). Further studies are needed to examine how
object fixation alters both the behavior strategy and the under-
lying neural control.
The unique shaping of the hand for the different objects was
achieved without vision of the hand or object. Therefore much
of the evolution of the hand shape during reach-to-grasp can be
achieved via feedforward control and proprioceptive/tactile
feedback. A similar control strategy can also be observed
during normal human grasping (Jeannerod 1984; Mason et al.
2001; Santello et al. 1998, 2002). Human subjects without
91 • JUNE 2004 • www.jn.org
 REACH-TO-GRASP IN THE MONKEY
vision of the object exhibit most of the properties described for
hand shaping with vision. For example when human subjects
are able to see the object but not their hand, the maximum grip
aperture remains a function of object size (Jeannerod 1984;
Wing et al. 1986). When subjects shape their hands out of view
and grasp different cubes, the joint angles of the fingers vary
linearly with cube sizes (Santello and Soechting 1997). Other
recent studies in humans show that hand preshaping occurs in
the absence of continuous vision of both the hand and object
(Schettino et al. 2003; Winges et al. 2003) as well as under
memory-guided reach-to-grasp (Santello et al. 2002). The re-
sults of this study and other human studies show that hand-
shaping synergies are similar across human and non-human
primates and that vision is not necessary for such synergies to
be operative.
If hand shaping occurs in the absence of vision, then what
role does vision play in hand shaping? It has been suggested
that vision may be used primarily to localize the position of the
object in space and may play less of a role in the actually
shaping of the hand to the object (Santello et al. 2002). Other
more salient factors, such as the transport component of the
grasp and the size and shape of the object (Schettino et al.
2001), appear to be the determinants of hand shaping rather
than vision. Although a rigorous examination of reach-to-grasp
with and without vision of the hand and object was not done in
this study, our findings are consistent with human hand-shap-
ing studies showing that shaping of the whole hand and grasp
aperture also occur in the absence of vision.
In interpreting the hand-shaping results and the SVD anal-
ysis described in the following text, a comment on the objects
studied is needed. The object shapes and sizes, and the corre-
sponding hand postures only represent a limited subset of the
full repertoire of hand shapes and grasps that can be achieved
by the monkey. Therefore the interpretation of the factors
affecting the preshaping of the hand and the hand synergies
used must be limited to the objects studied.
Reach
The kinematics of the reach component were comparable to
human kinematics (Jeannerod 1981, 1984; Marteniuk et al.
1990; Paulignan et al. 1990). The hand path was U-shaped and
was consistent across force levels within an object. The diver-
gence of the hand paths at the end of the reach for the different
objects was related to the required orientation of the hand to
grasp the object. The wrist speed profile was bell-shaped as for
reaching movements (Abend et al. 1982; Georgopoulos et al.
1981; Soechting and Lacquaniti 1981) and for reach-to-grasp
(Jeannerod 1984; Marteniuk et al. 1990; Paulignan et al. 1990;
Roy et al. 2000; Wallace and Weeks 1988). Both the hand path
and the speed were not affected by the required force level and
only minimally affected by object. The fact that reach varied so
little as a function of grasp force and object removes the
possible confound that alterations in the reach contributed to
the shaping of the hand or the hand synergies. This is a
particularly salient issue when examining the neural mecha-
nisms underlying reach-to-grasp.
Hand synergies
The SVD analysis demonstrates that a large amount of the
complexity of reach-to-grasp can be reduced to a few basic
J Neurophysiol • VOL
2835
hand postures or hand synergies. E1 explained an average 93%
of the variance and E2 an additional 4 –5%. These two eigen-
postures, an open hand flexed posture (E1) and an extended
posture (E2), are modulated in differing contributions through-
out reach to achieve the final hand posture. The consistency
across days, grasp forces, and monkeys implies that these hand
synergies are integral to how these animals grasp the selected
objects. The consistency is strengthened by the observation
that the animals used somewhat different strategies to grasp the
objects. The same synergies can describe both strategies.
The basis postures in the monkey were remarkably similar to
those observed in human reach-to-grasp (Mason et al. 2001;
Santello and Soechting 1997; Santello et al. 1998, 2002). For
humans with vision of their hands and objects, E1 also consists
of an open hand with flexed fingers and E2 consists of hyper-
extension of the fingers. The variance accounted for by the first
two principal components in humans (⬃75– 85%) is somewhat
less than that observed in the monkey (Mason et al. 2001;
Santello et al. 1998; 2002). This difference in variability is
likely a reflection of the much more diverse object set used in
the human studies. In addition, unlike the human studies, the
DIP angles were not recorded in the current study and could
have also contributed to a difference in the overall variance
accounted for in the first two principle components. The sec-
ond basic posture in humans adds a great deal of the shaping
needed for the different objects (Santello et al. 1998, 2002).
The findings are similar in the monkey. The phase plots of E2
versus E1 show that the contribution of E2 to the grasp begins
during the reach and then increases in importance. Therefore
the basis postures and the timing of their contributions to hand
shape are similar for humans and monkeys.
Not only are these hand postures the same for humans and
monkeys, the postures are relatively unchanged whether the
grasp is real or mimed (Mason et al. 2001). The present study
shows that the basis postures are not dependent on grasp force
and occur in the absence of vision of the hand and object.
Tactile sensory input also plays a limited role in defining these
basis postures in humans (Santello et al. 2002). Reaching to
virtual objects versus real objects alters the principal compo-
nents primarily at the time of object contact. Therefore the
similarities in the basis postures and their relative invariance in
humans and monkeys suggest that these synergies are funda-
mental to the control of reach-to-grasp. We propose that these
hand synergies reduce the complexity of controlling the hand
as has been suggested previously (Mason et al. 2001; Santello
and Soechting 1997; Santello et al. 1998, 2002).
The neural substrate underlying the hand synergies remains
to be defined, although several observations point to possible
neural correlates. In a preliminary report, a factorization algo-
rithm was used to extract a small number of EMG postures
from extrinsic hand muscles during reach-to-grasp in a monkey
(d’Avella et al. 2002). These time-varying muscle synergies
may underlie the basis postures described in this report and in
humans (Mason et al. 2001; Santello and Soechting 1997;
Santello et al. 1998, 2002) Our initial description of the dis-
charge properties of primary motor cortex neurons during
reach to grasp reveals temporal firing patterns that scale with
the different objects (Mason et al. 2002). Furthermore, the
firing was significantly modulated in relation to object proper-
ties. Both findings are consistent with encoding of global
aspects of hand shape such as hand synergies. Recently Lemon
91 • JUNE 2004 • www.jn.org
2836 C. R. MASON, L. S. THEVERAPPERUMA, C. M. HENDRIX, AND T. J. EBNER
and colleagues have shown that synchrony in the discharge of
primary motor cortical neurons occurs during precision grasp
(Baker et al. 2001). The synchrony may have a large influence
on corticospinal output (Baker et al. 2003; Schieber 2002) and
is organized based on the muscle fields of the neurons (Jackson
et al. 2003). Extensive finger movement training increases the
synchrony as detected in spike triggered averaging (Schieber
2002). It has been hypothesized that this synchrony plays a role
in complex movement patterns such as those required for hand
shaping and the associated EMG patterns of activity (Baker et
al. 2001). The primary motor cortex is a likely to play a major
role in the neural mechanisms underlying the observed syner-
gies.
Force control is independent of reach and hand shape
Several findings lead to the conclusion that the kinematics of
reach-to-grasp are independent of the force requirements. Both
the RMS differences and SVD analyses show that the hand
shaping during the reach as well as during the actual grasp do
not vary as a function of the force placed on the objects. Even
the temporal profiles of the contributions of E1 and E2 to hand
shape were independent of grasp force. Nor was peak grasp
aperture affected by grasp force. Similarly the kinematics of
the reach (wrist trajectory and speed) showed very little de-
pendence on grasp force.
Other studies support the conclusions that grasp force and
grasp kinematics are controlled independently. Stereotypical
contact patterns are observed when human subjects reach,
grasp, and lift objects of varying weight or surface texture
(Reilmann et al. 2001). The stereotypical contact pattern im-
plies that the hand shape was stereotyped and independent of
force. Reaching to two identically shaped objects of different
weight did not effect grasp kinematics as assessed by thumb
and index finger aperture (Gentilucci 2002). Patterns of force
sharing among the fingers are evident at the initiation of force
and remains fixed in both isometric (Li et al. 1998) and
dynamic grasp tasks (Rearick and Santello 2002; Reilmann et
al. 2001; Santello and Soechting 2000). These force sharing
patterns are stereotyped for each person and are present in both
the dominant and nondominant hand (Rearick and Santello
2002). In a recent report, object-specific electromyographic
patterns were found for a monkey trained to grasp and pull
objects against a load force (1–2 N) (Brochier et al. 2001).
Although force was not explicitly controlled, the findings in-
dicate that hand shaping is object dependent but not force
dependent. Taken together the findings indicate that the CNS
controls grasp kinematics and force separately.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors give special thanks to M. McPhee for assistance with graphics
and to J. Gomez for behavioral paradigm development.
GRANTS
This study was supported in part by National Institutes of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke Grants F32 NS-10491, R01 NS-18338, F32 NS-047798-
01, and R01 NS-31350 and a grant from the Minnesota Medical Foundation.
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