Stimulate the Face to Improve Tactile Acuity on the Hand (FACEHAND)

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age: 30-80 years old
• Patients with diagnosis of unilateral (both right and left) ischemic or haemorrhagic stroke
• Stroke event dates at least 3 months before the date of inclusion to the study
• Mild-to-moderate sensory loss at the fingers of the hand contralateral to the stroke lesion (affected hand)
• Capacity to provide written consent
• Affiliation to a social security scheme

Non-Inclusion Criteria:

• Sensory impairment attributable to diabetes history, peripheral vascular disease or neuropathy
• Severe speech disorder, global aphasia and/or cognitive impairment
• Multiple stroke events
• Bilateral stroke event
• Hemineglect
• History of neurological or psychiatric illness
• Allergy to glue/tape
• Male participants refusing to shave their moustaches or beards during the study
• Other experimental procedure is forbidden during the weeks where the study is performed
• Pregnant, parturient and lactating women
• Persons deprived of their liberty
• Adult persons subject to a legal protection measure: guardianship, curatorship
• Congenital or acquired malformation/injury of the test finger

Exclusion Criteria:

• Impossibility to maintain hand position necessary for the tests due to severe spasticity
• Severe impairment of the sensibility of the face preventing the administration of the RSS
• Severe impairment of the absolute touch detection at the affected hand preventing measurement (threshold 512 mN)