Can EMG-Derived Upper Limb Muscle Synergies Serve as Markers for Post-Stroke Motor Assessment and Prediction of Rehabilitation Outcome?

ABSTRACT: EMG-derived muscle synergy, as a representation of neuromotor modules utilized for motor control, has been proposed as a biomarker for stroke rehabilitation. Here, we evaluate the utility of muscle synergies for assessing motor function and predicting post-intervention motor outcome in a stroke rehabilitation clinical trial. Subacute stroke survivors (n = 59) received month-long acupuncture (Acu), sham acupuncture (ShamAcu) or no acupuncture (NoAcu) as adjunctive rehabilitative intervention alongside standard physiotherapy. Clinical scores and EMGs (14 muscles, eight motor tasks) were collected from the stroke-affected upper limb before and after intervention. We then extracted muscle synergies from EMGs using non-negative matrix factorization and designed 12 muscle synergy indices (MSIs)

SUBMITTER: Kwok FT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12116162 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature