How the brain coordinates both hands when they work together
Official title: Sensorimotor control of common-goal bimanual coordination
Funded at University of Central Florida · NIH-11290311 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how adults’ brains coordinate both hands during shared tasks to help guide better therapies for people after stroke or other brain injuries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Central Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Orlando, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $367,558 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS133094-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11290311 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adults (21+) who can use both hands and are willing to come to the lab in Orlando for in-person testing.
✕Less likely to help
People with severe bilateral arm paralysis or who cannot perform basic two-handed tasks are unlikely to benefit directly or to be able to participate.
What this research studies
You would perform virtual object-manipulation tasks that require both hands to work toward the same goal while the researchers change the task demands or introduce brief disturbances. The team will record brain activity and measure how well the two hands stay coordinated under different constraints. The work focuses on brain regions that help plan and guide coordinated hand actions so researchers can see what changes when tasks become harder. Findings from healthy adults are intended as a stepping stone toward treatments for people with bimanual impairments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new, more targeted rehabilitation strategies to improve everyday two-handed tasks for people with stroke or other neurological conditions.
How similar studies have gone: Related motor-control studies tracking brain activity during two-handed tasks have provided useful insights, though focusing specifically on shared-goal coordination under variable perturbations is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Central Florida
Orlando, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fu, Qiushi — University of Central Florida
- Study coordinator: Fu, Qiushi
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.