Muscle Network Analysis of a Dynamic Bilateral Task with an Upper Limb Exoskeleton

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomechanics
• Robotics

Background:

• Functional muscle networks analyze muscle synchronization during motor tasks.
• The impact of assistive exoskeletons on neural muscle substrates is understudied.
• Understanding inter-muscular coordination is crucial for rehabilitation robotics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of a shoulder exoskeleton on functional muscle networks during a bilateral dynamic task.
• To analyze changes in temporal and frequency domains of physiological patterns with exoskeleton assistance.

Main Methods:

• Extracted functional muscle networks from healthy individuals performing a bilateral dynamic task.
• Compared muscle network characteristics with and without the support of a shoulder exoskeleton.

Main Results:

• Functional muscle networks exhibited global stationarity.
• A slight alteration in muscle synergy shapes was observed with exoskeleton use.
• The assistive device influenced physiological patterns in both temporal and frequency domains.

Conclusions:

• Functional connectivity analysis offers a potential tool for evaluating inter-muscular coordination.
• Exoskeleton use minimally impacts overall muscle coordination patterns.
• Findings suggest applications in rehabilitation robotics and clinical assessments.