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Asymmetric Walkway: A Novel Behavioral Assay for Studying Asymmetric Locomotion

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Patterns of muscle coordination during stepping responses post-stroke.

V L Gray¹, C L Pollock², J M Wakeling²

¹Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.

Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology : Official Journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology

|October 18, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Stroke survivors exhibit altered muscle activation patterns during stepping, with the paretic leg showing earlier muscle onsets and the non-paretic leg compensating during stance.

Keywords:

Hemiparesis Principal component analysis Stepping Stroke

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Standing Neurophysiological Assessment of Lower Extremity Muscles Post-Stroke

Standing Neurophysiological Assessment of Lower Extremity Muscles Post-Stroke

Published on: July 26, 2021

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Biomechanics
Rehabilitation Science

Background:

Stroke frequently causes motor impairments, affecting gait and balance.
Understanding muscle activation patterns is crucial for stroke rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare self-induced stepping reactions in individuals post-stroke and healthy controls.
To identify muscle activation differences in paretic, non-paretic, and control legs using EMG and PCA.

Main Methods:

Recorded surface electromyographic (EMG) signals from soleus (SOL), tibialis anterior (TA), biceps femoris (BF), and rectus femoris (RF) muscles bilaterally.
Utilized Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to analyze muscle activation patterns during self-induced stepping.
Compared muscle activation patterns between paretic, non-paretic, and control legs.

Main Results:

Distinct muscle activation patterns were observed in the paretic stepping leg, including earlier TA onset and earlier BF/SOL onset.
Significant differences in stance leg muscle activation were found in the non-paretic leg compared to paretic and control legs.
The non-paretic stance leg showed earlier TA burst and increased BF/SOL EMG at step initiation, suggesting compensatory strategies.

Conclusions:

Individuals post-stroke demonstrate impaired stepping mechanics in the paretic leg.
Compensatory strategies are employed by the non-paretic leg during the stance phase of stepping after stroke.