The functions of the hand are numerous: the most important are the functions of touch and prehension. We use our hands to perform a variety of other tasks that play an essential role in our lives, such as nutritional, expressive, sexual, hygienic, and thermoregulatory functions. Since we can perform such a remarkable array of functions with our hands, the question arises: How does the central nervous system organize and control the tasks that we carry out with our hands? The research presented in this book was the first to systematically examine the forces exerted by five digits on a hand-held object duriung static force and torque production tasks. In addition, this research addresses the strategies used by the central nervous system to fulfill the apparently conflicting force and torque production requirements. Such information will be useful for those individuals who design hand prostheses, dextrous robotic hands, and hand-held tools and work equipment. This information is also useful for clinicians evaluating abnormal hand function and understanding the neural mechanicsms that control prehensile behavior.

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