Shoulder and elbow muscle activity during fully supported trajectory tracking in people who have had a stroke

 You researched something. How EXACTLY will this be used to get survivors recovered? Incomplete research. I would have the mentors and senior researchers fired for not specifying research goals correctly.  A lot of dead wood in stroke needs to be removed.

Shoulder and elbow muscle activity during fully supported trajectory tracking in people who have had a stroke

 A.M. Hughes a,*
, C.T. Freeman b, 

J.H. Burridge a, 

P.H. Chappell b, 

P.L. Lewin b, 

E. Rogers b
a School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
b School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK

 abstract

An inability to perform tasks involving reaching is a common problem for stroke patients. This paper provides an insight into mechanisms associated with recovery of upper limb function by examining how stroke participants’ upper limb muscle activation patterns differ from those of neurologically intact participants, and how they change in response to an intervention.In this study, five chronic stroke participants undertook nine tracking tasks in which trajectory (orientation and length), speed and resistance to movement were varied. During these tasks, EMG signals were recorded from triceps, biceps, anterior deltoid, upper, middle and lower trapezius and pectoralis major.Data collection was performed in sessions both before, and after, an intervention in which participants performed a similar range of tracking tasks with the addition of responsive electrical stimulation applied to their triceps muscle. The intervention consisted of eighteen one hour treatment sessions, with two participants attending an additional seven sessions. During all sessions, each participant’s arm was supported by a hinged arm-holder which constrained their hand to move in a two dimensional plane.Analysis of the pre intervention EMG data showed that timing and amplitude of peak EMG activity for all stroke participants differed from neurologically intact participants. Analysis of post intervention EMG data revealed that statistically significant changes in the sequantities had occurred towards those of neurologically intact participants.