Digit cooling influences grasp efficiency during manipulative tasks

A commonly experienced effect of cold is a sensation of numbness and loss of sensibility in the fingers. Intact tactile sensibility of the grasping digits is essential for the efficient scaling of grip force level during the manipulation of hand-held objects. We investigated whether or not cooling of the grasping digits affects scaling of the grip force magnitude in relation to the loads resulting from continuous vertical arm movements performed with a grasped instrumented object. Maxima and minima of load force occurred at the lower and upper turning point of the movement cycle, respectively, and were accompanied by maximum and minimum peaks in grip force occurring close in time prior to and following digit cooling, respectively. Thus, digit cooling did not influence the ability to adjust the grip force profile in anticipation of movement-induced fluctuations in load force. However, subjects established significantly higher grip forces against the hand-held object following digit cooling and generated a 10–70% higher ratio between grip and load forces at the upper and lower turning points of the movement cycle. It is thought that the impaired economical scaling of grip force level is the result of reduced sensory feedback from the grasping fingers during digit cooling. The results provide further evidence to support the suggestion that cutaneous afferent input plays a subordinate role in the predictive temporal regulation of the grip force profile, but is used to adapt economically the force level to the actual loading requirements during dynamic object manipulation.