The hand endows us with unparalleled precision and versatility in our interactions with objects, from mundane activities such as grasping to extraordinary ones such as virtuoso pianism. The complex anatomy of the human hand combined with expansive and specialized neuronal control circuits allows a wide range of precise manual behaviours. To support these behaviours, an exquisite sensory apparatus, spanning the modalities of touch and proprioception, conveys detailed and timely information about our interactions with objects and about the objects themselves. The study of manual dexterity provides a unique lens into the sensorimotor mechanisms that endow the nervous system with the ability to flexibly generate complex behaviour.

在我们与物体的互动中，手赋予我们无与伦比的精确度和多功能性，从诸如抓握之类的平凡活动到大师级钢琴之类的非凡活动。人手的复杂解剖结构与广泛和专门的神经元控制电路相结合，可以进行广泛的精确手动行为。为了支持这些行为，一个精致的感官装置，跨越了触觉和本体感觉的模式，传达了关于我们与物体的交互以及物体本身的详细而及时的信息。对手的灵巧性的研究为赋予神经系统灵活产生复杂行为的能力的感觉运动机制提供了一个独特的视角。