An upper limb end-effector robotic device can be used to monitor cortical and neuromuscular responses with TMS, EEG, and EMG (electrodes placed on multiple shoulder, arm, forearm muscles) during performance of reaching movements in different directions in the x-y axis (A,B). The motors can be switched off to measure “free” movements or switched on to induce force fields (perturbation or resistance). Other adjunct methods of brain stimulation can be used during robot-mediated reaching movements such as tDCS (C); different types of tDCS include: unilateral anodal motor cortex – black arrow, unilateral anodal premotor or visual cortex – red arrows, unilateral cathodal stimulation – blue arrows or directional stimulation – yellow arrow; Ref, reference electrode, Active, active electrode). The robotic device can be used to assist acute stroke patients in reaching motor practice in therapy or be programed to perturb motor performance to measure patient kinematic performance and muscle responses in different tasks such as position holding [(D); see also Figure ].