scholarly journals Validity and reliability of an electromyography-based upper limb assessment quantifying selective voluntary motor control in children with upper motor neuron lesions

2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 003685042110080
Author(s):  
Jeffrey W Keller ◽  
Annina Fahr ◽  
Julia Balzer ◽  
Jan Lieber ◽  
Hubertus JA van Hedel
Keyword(s):  
Motor Control ◽  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Concurrent Validity ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Similarity Index ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Voluntary Motor ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns

Current clinical assessments evaluating selective voluntary motor control are measured on an ordinal scale. We combined the Selective Control of the Upper Extremity Scale (SCUES) with surface electromyography to develop a more objective and interval-scaled assessment of selective voluntary motor control. The resulting Similarity Index (SI) quantifies the similarity of muscle activation patterns. We aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of this new assessment named SISCUES (Similarity Index of the SCUES) in children with upper motor neuron lesions. Thirty-three patients (12.2 years [8.8;14.9]) affected by upper motor neuron lesions with mild to moderate impairments and 31 typically developing children (11.6 years [8.5;13.9]) participated. We calculated reference muscle activation patterns for the SISCUES using data of 33 neurologically healthy adults (median [1st; 3rd quantile]: 32.5 [27.9; 38.3]). We calculated Spearman correlations (ρ) between the SISCUES and the SCUES and the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) to establish concurrent validity. Discriminative validity was tested by comparing scores of patients and healthy peers with a robust ANCOVA. Intraclass correlation coefficients2,1 and minimal detectable changes indicated relative and absolute reliability. The SISCUES correlates strongly with SCUES (ρ = 0.76, p < 0.001) and moderately with the MACS (ρ = −0.58, p < 0.001). The average SISCUES can discriminate between patients and peers. The intraclass correlation coefficient2,1 was 0.90 and the minimal detectable change was 0.07 (8% of patients’ median score). Concurrent validity, discriminative validity, and reliability of the SISCUES were established. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether it is responsive enough to detect changes from therapeutic interventions.

scholarly journals Sex-specific tuning of modular muscle activation patterns for locomotion in young and older adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Santuz ◽  
Lars Janshen ◽  
Leon Bruell ◽  
Victor Munoz-Martel ◽  
Juri Taborri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Motor Control ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Human Locomotion ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Modular Organization ◽  
Muscle Synergies ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Motor Primitives ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns

There is increasing evidence that including sex as a biological variable is of crucial importance to promote rigorous, repeatable and reproducible science. In spite of this, the body of literature that accounts for the sex of participants in human locomotion studies is small and often produces controversial results. Here, we investigated the modular organization of muscle activation patterns for human locomotion using the concept of muscle synergies with a double purpose: i) uncover possible sex-specific characteristics of motor control and ii) assess whether these are maintained in older age. We recorded electromyographic activities from 13 ipsilateral muscles of the lower limb in young and older adults of both sexes walking (young and old) and running (young) on a treadmill. The data set obtained from the 215 participants was elaborated through non-negative matrix factorization to extract the time-independent (i.e., motor modules) and time-dependent (i.e., motor primitives) coefficients of muscle synergies. We found sparse sex-specific modulations of motor control. Motor modules showed a different contribution of hip extensors, knee extensors and foot dorsiflexors in various synergies. Motor primitives were wider (i.e., lasted longer) in males in the propulsion synergy for walking (but only in young and not in older adults) and in the weight acceptance synergy for running. Moreover, the complexity of motor primitives was similar in younger adults of both sexes, but lower in older females as compared to older males. In essence, our results revealed the existence of small but defined sex-specific differences in the way humans control locomotion and that these strategies are not entirely maintained in older age.

Influence of Gravity Compensation on Muscle Activation Patterns During Different Temporal Phases of Arm Movements of Stroke Patients

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 478-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.B. Prange ◽  
M.J.A. Jannink ◽  
A.H.A. Stienen ◽  
H. van der Kooij ◽  
M.J. IJzerman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Control ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Arm Movement ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Gravity Compensation ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns ◽  
Arm Support ◽  
Control Objective

Background. Arm support to help compensate for the effects of gravity may improve functional use of the shoulder and elbow during therapy after stroke, but gravity compensation may alter motor control. Objective. To obtain quantitative information on how gravity compensation influences muscle activation patterns during functional, 3-dimensional reaching movements. Methods. Eight patients with mild hemiparesis performed 2 sets of repeated reach and retrieval movements, with and without unloading the arm, using a device that acted at the elbow and forearm to compensate for gravity. Electromyographic (EMG) patterns of 6 upper extremity muscles were compared during elbow and shoulder joint excursions with and without gravity compensation. Results. Movement performance was similar with and without gravity compensation. Smooth rectified EMG (SRE) values were decreased from 25% to 50% during movements with gravity compensation in 5 out of 6 muscles. The variation of SRE values across movement phases did not differ across conditions. Conclusions. Gravity compensation did not affect general patterns of muscle activation in this sample of stroke patients, probably since they had adequate function to complete the task without arm support. Gravity compensation did facilitate active arm movement excursions without impairing motor control. Gravity compensation may be a valuable modality in conventional or robot-aided therapy to increase the intensity of training for mildly impaired patients.

scholarly journals Motor Control Changes after Innovative Aquatic Proprioceptive Training in Athletes with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Voluntary Response Index Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol In Press (In Press) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elie Hajouj ◽  
Mohammad Reza Hadian ◽  
Seyed Mohsen Mir ◽  
Saeed Talebian ◽  
Salah Ghazi
Keyword(s):  
Motor Control ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Response Index ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns ◽  
Voluntary Response ◽  
Proprioceptive Training ◽  
Anterior Cruciate ◽  
Functional Task

Objectives: The main aim of this study was to determine and compare the effects of innovative aquatic proprioceptive training plus conventional rehabilitation with conventional rehabilitation alone on voluntary response index (VRI) components in athletes with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Methods: Forty male athletes with ACLR (18 - 35 years of age) voluntarily participated in this study. They were randomly allocated into two groups. The conventional therapy group (n = 20) underwent conventional rehabilitation for ten weeks, three sessions a week. The aquatic proprioceptive training plus conventional rehabilitation (n = 20) group received the same conventional rehabilitation plus 30 sessions of innovative hydrotherapy exercises. Voluntary response index analysis was carried out to determine changes in motor control and muscle activation patterns based on electromyographic (EMG) outcome measures. Results: There was a significant difference in the magnitude (MAG) and similarity index (SI) between the two groups at all phases of the functional task (sit-stand-sit) (P < 0.05). Also, both groups showed a significant change in MAG and SI at all phases of the functional task (sit-stand-sit) after the intervention (P < 0.05). Effect size in both groups for MAG and SI at all phases of the functional task (sit-stand-sit) ranged from 2.5 to 4.61 and from 0.29 to 1.7, respectively. Conclusions: The incorporation of innovative aquatic proprioceptive training into conventional accelerated rehabilitation protocol can improve motor control by influencing muscle activation patterns.

scholarly journals Is the Occurrence of the Sticking Region in Maximum Smith Machine Squats the Result of Diminishing Potentiation and Co-Contraction of the Prime Movers among Recreationally Resistance Trained Males?

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1366
Author(s):  
Roland van den Tillaar ◽  
Eirik Lindset Kristiansen ◽  
Stian Larsen
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Gluteus Maximus ◽  
Knee Extensors ◽  
Force Output ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns ◽  
Prime Movers ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Height Data

This study compared the kinetics, barbell, and joint kinematics and muscle activation patterns between a one-repetition maximum (1-RM) Smith machine squat and isometric squats performed at 10 different heights from the lowest barbell height. The aim was to investigate if force output is lowest in the sticking region, indicating that this is a poor biomechanical region. Twelve resistance trained males (age: 22 ± 5 years, mass: 83.5 ± 39 kg, height: 1.81 ± 0.20 m) were tested. A repeated two-way analysis of variance showed that Force output decreased in the sticking region for the 1-RM trial, while for the isometric trials, force output was lowest between 0–15 cm from the lowest barbell height, data that support the sticking region is a poor biomechanical region. Almost all muscles showed higher activity at 1-RM compared with isometric attempts (p < 0.05). The quadriceps activity decreased, and the gluteus maximus and shank muscle activity increased with increasing height (p ≤ 0.024). Moreover, the vastus muscles decreased only for the 1-RM trial while remaining stable at the same positions in the isometric trials (p = 0.04), indicating that potentiation occurs. Our findings suggest that a co-contraction between the hip and knee extensors, together with potentiation from the vastus muscles during ascent, creates a poor biomechanical region for force output, and thereby the sticking region among recreationally resistance trained males during 1-RM Smith machine squats.

scholarly journals Electromyographic activation patterns during swallowing in older adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Young Ko ◽  
Hayoung Kim ◽  
Joonyoung Jang ◽  
Jun Chang Lee ◽  
Ju Seok Ryu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Viscous Fluid ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Fatty Infiltration ◽  
Liquid Volume ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns ◽  
Age Related

AbstractAge-related weakness due to atrophy and fatty infiltration in oropharyngeal muscles may be related to dysphagia in older adults. However, little is known about changes in the oropharyngeal muscle activation pattern in older adults. This was a prospective and experimental study. Forty healthy participants (20 older [> 60 years] and 20 young [< 60 years] adults) were enrolled. Six channel surface electrodes were placed over the bilateral suprahyoid (SH), bilateral retrohyoid (RH), thyrohyoid (TH), and sternothyroid (StH) muscles. Electromyography signals were then recorded twice for each patient during swallowing of 2 cc of water, 5 cc of water, and 5 cc of a highly viscous fluid. Latency, duration, and peak amplitude were measured. The activation patterns were the same, in the order of SH, TH, and StH, in both groups. The muscle activation patterns were classified as type I and II; the type I pattern was characterized by a monophasic shape, and the type II comprised a pre-reflex phase and a main phase. The oropharyngeal muscles and SH muscles were found to develop a pre-reflex phase specifically with increasing volume and viscosity of the swallowed fluid. Type I showed a different response to the highly viscous fluid in the older group compared to that in the younger group. However, type II showed concordant changes in the groups. Therefore, healthy older people were found to compensate for swallowing with a pre-reflex phase of muscle activation in response to increased liquid volume and viscosity, to adjust for age-related muscle weakness.

scholarly journals Inter-laboratory comparison of knee biomechanics and muscle activation patterns during gait in patients with knee osteoarthritis

The Knee ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 500-509
Author(s):  
J.C. Schrijvers ◽  
D. Rutherford ◽  
R. Richards ◽  
J.C. van den Noort ◽  
M. van der Esch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Knee Osteoarthritis ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Knee Biomechanics ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns

scholarly journals Functional Gait Recovery after a Combination of Conventional Therapy and Overground Robot-Assisted Gait Training Is Not Associated with Significant Changes in Muscle Activation Pattern: An EMG Preliminary Study on Subjects Subacute Post Stroke

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 448
Author(s):  
Francesco Infarinato ◽  
Paola Romano ◽  
Michela Goffredo ◽  
Marco Ottaviani ◽  
Daniele Galafate ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conventional Therapy ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Bilateral Symmetry ◽  
Gait Training ◽  
Robot Assisted ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Post Stroke ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Functional Gait

Background: Overground Robot-Assisted Gait Training (o-RAGT) appears to be a promising stroke rehabilitation in terms of clinical outcomes. The literature on surface ElectroMyoGraphy (sEMG) assessment in o-RAGT is limited. This paper aimed to assess muscle activation patterns with sEMG in subjects subacute post stroke after training with o-RAGT and conventional therapy. Methods: An observational preliminary study was carried out with subjects subacute post stroke who received 15 sessions of o-RAGT (5 sessions/week; 60 min) in combination with conventional therapy. The subjects were assessed with both clinical and instrumental evaluations. Gait kinematics and sEMG data were acquired before (T1) and after (T2) the period of treatment (during ecological gait), and during the first session of o-RAGT (o-RAGT1). An eight-channel wireless sEMG device acquired in sEMG signals. Significant differences in sEMG outcomes were found in the BS of TA between T1 and T2. There were no other significant correlations between the sEMG outcomes and the clinical results between T1 and T2. Conclusions: There were significant functional gains in gait after complex intensive clinical rehabilitation with o-RAGT and conventional therapy. In addition, there was a significant increase in bilateral symmetry of the Tibialis Anterior muscles. At this stage of the signals from the tibialis anterior (TA), gastrocnemius medialis (GM), rectus femoris (RF), and biceps femoris caput longus (BF) muscles of each lower extremity. sEMG data processing extracted the Bilateral Symmetry (BS), the Co-Contraction (CC), and the Root Mean Square (RMS) coefficients. Results: Eight of 22 subjects in the subacute stage post stroke agreed to participate in this sEMG study. This subsample demonstrated a significant improvement in the motricity index of the affected lower limb and functional ambulation. The heterogeneity of the subjects’ characteristics and the small number of subjects was associated with high variability research, functional gait recovery was associated with minimal change in muscle activation patterns.

Spatial muscle activation patterns during different leg exercise protocols in physically active adults using muscle functional MRI: a systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 129 (4) ◽  
pp. 934-946
Author(s):  
Katherine Dooley ◽  
Suzanne J. Snodgrass ◽  
Peter Stanwell ◽  
Samantha Birse ◽  
Adrian Schultz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Lumbar Vertebra ◽  
Rectus Femoris ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Active Adults

An emerging method to measure muscle activation patterns is muscle functional magnetic resonance imaging (mfMRI), where preexercise and postexercise muscle metabolism differences indicate spatial muscle activation patterns. We evaluated studies employing mfMRI to determine activation patterns of lumbar or lower limb muscles following exercise in physically active adults. Electronic systematic searches were conducted until March 2020. All studies employing ≥1.5 Tesla MRI scanners to compare spatial muscle activation patterns at the level of or inferior to the first lumbar vertebra in healthy, active adults. Two authors independently assessed study eligibility before appraising methodological quality using a National Institutes of Health assessment tool. Because of heterogeneity, findings were synthesized without meta-analysis. Of the 1,946 studies identified, seven qualified for inclusion and pertained to hamstring ( n = 5), quadriceps ( n = 1) or extrinsic foot ( n = 1) muscles. All included studies controlled for internal validity, with one employing assessor blinding. MRI physics and differing research questions explain study methodology heterogeneity. Significant mfMRI findings were: following Nordic exercise, hamstrings with previous trauma (strain or surgical autograft harvest) demonstrated reduced activation compared with unharmed contralateral muscles, and asymptomatic individuals preferentially activated semitendinosus; greater biceps femoris long head to semitendinosus ratios reported following 45° hip extension over Nordic exercise; greater rectus femoris activation occurred in “flywheel” over barbell squats. mfMRI parameters differ on the basis of individual research questions. Individual muscles show greater activation following specific exercises, suggesting exercise specificity may be important for rehabilitation, although evidence is limited to single cohort studies comparing interlimb differences preexercise versus postexercise.

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