Print Email Facebook Twitter An explorative, cross-sectional study into abnormal muscular coupling during reach in chronic stroke patients Title An explorative, cross-sectional study into abnormal muscular coupling during reach in chronic stroke patients Author Prange, G.B. Jannink, M.J.A. Stienen, A.H.A. Van der Kooij, H. IJzerman, M.J. Hermens, H.J. Faculty Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering Department Biomechanical Engineering Date 2010-03-16 Abstract Background: In many stroke patients arm function is limited, which can be related to an abnormal coupling between shoulder and elbow joints. The extent to which this can be translated to activities of daily life (ADL), in terms of muscle activation during ADL-like movements, is rather unknown. Therefore, the present study examined the occurrence of abnormal coupling on functional, ADL-like reaching movements of chronic stroke patients by comparison with healthy persons. Methods: Upward multi-joint reaching movements (20 repetitions at a self-selected speed to resemble ADL) were compared in two conditions: once facilitated by arm weight compensation and once resisted to provoke a potential abnormal coupling. Changes in movement performance (joint angles) and muscle activation (amplitude of activity and co-activation) between conditions were compared between healthy persons and stroke patients using a repeated measures ANOVA. Results: The present study showed slight changes in joint excursion and muscle activation of stroke patients due to shoulder elevation resistance during functional reach. Remarkably, in healthy persons similar changes were observed. Even the results of a sub-group of the more impaired stroke patients did not point to an abnormal coupling between shoulder elevation and elbow flexion during functional reach. Conclusions: The present findings suggest that in mildly and moderately affected chronic stroke patients ADL-like arm movements are not substantially affected by abnormal synergistic coupling. In this case, it is implied that other major contributors to limitations in functional use of the arm should be identified and targeted individually in rehabilitation, to improve use of the arm in activities of daily living. To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:c8ce4ad2-e961-46cc-87ed-f606c80661fa DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-0003-7-14 Publisher BioMed Central ISSN 1743-0003 Source Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 7, 2010 Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights (c) 2010 The Author(s) ; Creative Commons 2.0 Files PDF vanderKooij_2010.pdf 953.33 KB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:c8ce4ad2-e961-46cc-87ed-f606c80661fa/datastream/OBJ/view