Muscle Synergy Analysis for Rehabilitation

Abstract

As the population ages globally, the number of patients such as strokes is increasing. Motor function often impaired after a stroke, and QOL is significantly damaged. Therefore, rehabilitation is necessary, but there are few effective methods yet. After the damages to the motor cortex by stroke, some motor functions are affected, but the rehabilitation training can induce the reorganization in the adjacent intact cortex and motor functions may be recovered. The musculoskeletal system plays a role in bridging brain activity and motor function. Even though the movement appears to be the same, the muscle activity may have changed. Muscle synergy plays an important role in visualizing muscle activity because it can express activity patterns that depend on tasks more than muscle activity alone.