Article

A significant factor in impaired movement caused by stroke is the
inability to activate muscles independently. Although the pathophysiology behind
this abnormal coactivation is not clear, reducing the coactivation could improve
overall arm function. A myoelectric computer interface (MCI), which maps
electromyographic signals to cursor movement, could be used as a treatment to
help retrain muscle activation patterns. Objective. To investigate the use of MCI
training to reduce abnormal muscle coactivation in chronic stroke survivors.
Methods. A total of 5 healthy participants and 5 stroke survivors with
hemiparesis participated in multiple sessions of MCI training. The level of arm
impairment in stroke survivors was assessed using the upper-extremity portion of
the Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment (FMA-UE). Participants performed isometric
activations of up to 5 muscles. Activation of each muscle was mapped to different
directions of cursor movement. The MCI specifically targeted 1 pair of muscles in
each participant for reduction of coactivation. Results. Both healthy
participants and stroke survivors learned to reduce abnormal coactivation of the
targeted muscles with MCI training. Out of 5 stroke survivors, 3 exhibited
objective reduction in arm impairment as well (improvement in FMA-UE of 3 points
in each of these patients). Conclusions. These results suggest that the MCI was
an effective tool in directly retraining muscle activation patterns following stroke.
CI - (c) The Author(s) 2013.

Langue : ANGLAIS