Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation最新文献

{"title":"Classification of left and right-hand motor imagery in acute stroke patients using EEG microstate.","authors":"Shiyang Lv, Xiangying Ran, Mengsheng Xia, Yehong Zhang, Ting Pang, Xuezhi Zhou, Zongya Zhao, Yi Yu, Zhixian Gao","doi":"10.1186/s12984-025-01668-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12984-025-01668-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Stroke is one of the leading causes of adult disability, often resulting in motor dysfunction and brain network reorganization. Brain-computer interface (BCI) systems offer a novel approach to post-stroke motor rehabilitation, with motor imagery (MI) serving as a key paradigm that requires decoding left and right-hand MI differences to optimize system performance. However, the neural dynamics underlying these differences, especially from the perspective of Electroencephalography(EEG) microstate, remain poorly understood in acute stroke patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study enrolled 14 acute stroke patients and recorded their EEG data during left and right-hand MI tasks. Four EEG microstate (A, B, C, and D) were analyzed to extract temporal feature parameters, including Duration, Occurrence Coverage, and transition probabilities(TP). Significant features were used to construct classification models using Linear Discriminant Analysis(LDA), Support Vector Machines(SVM), and K-Nearest Neighbors(KNN) algorithms.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Microstate analysis revealed significant differences in temporal features of microstate A and C during left and right-hand MI tasks. During left-hand MI, microstate A exhibited longer Duration(P_fdr=0.032), higher Occurrence(P_fdr=0.018), and greater Coverage(P_fdr=0.004) compared to the right-hand, whereas microstate C showed the opposite pattern(P_fdr=0.044, P_fdr=0.004, P_fdr=0.004). Additionally, the TP from microstate B→A, D→A and D→C also demonstrated significant differences(P_fdr=0.04, P_fdr<0.001, P_fdr=0.006). Among classification models, the KNN algorithm achieved the highest accuracy of 75.00%, outperforming LDA and SVM. Fisher analysis indicated that the Occurrence of microstate C was the most discriminative feature for distinguishing between left and right-hand MI tasks in acute stroke patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Differences in EEG microstate features during left and right-hand MI tasks in acute stroke patients may reflect lateralized mechanisms of brain network reorganization. Microstate features hold significant potential for both post-stroke brain function assessment and the optimization of BCI systems. These features could enhance adaptive BCI strategies in acute stroke rehabilitation.</p>","PeriodicalId":16384,"journal":{"name":"Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation","volume":"22 1","pages":"137"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12178014/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144326059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Use of the non-paretic arm reflects a habitual behaviour in chronic stroke.","authors":"Sebastian Sporn, E Bonyadi, R Fathana, L Tedesco Triccas, M Coll, S Bestmann, N S Ward","doi":"10.1186/s12984-025-01661-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12984-025-01661-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>A proportion of stroke survivors use their paretic arm less than might be expected based on their level of impairment. The resulting underuse of the paretic arm has a negative impact on participation in neurorehabilitation and functional independence. However, non-use remains poorly understood. One possibility is that prioritising the non-paretic arm reflects a habit, despite residual functional capacity in the paretic arm.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>30 chronic stroke survivors (Mean Fugl Meyer Upper Limb Score: 28.9 ± 11.3) participated in a simplified version of the forced response paradigm, which reliably identifies the presence of a habit. Participants were asked to choose which arm to use to maximise points scored during a reaching task. During half of the trials, the presumed habit of using the non-paretic arm yielded more points, whereas in the other half using the non-paretic arm incurred a loss of points. Participants completed two versions of this task, once with unlimited response time available and once without.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants scored fewer points in the limited response condition compared to the unlimited response conditions. This difference was driven by a selective increase in the use of the non-paretic arm in trials where the paretic arm yielded more points. The results were not mediated by former hand dominance.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our results demonstrate that not using the non-paretic arm may reflect a habit response that is more readily triggered in demanding (e.g. time-limited) situations. This may explain why successful neurorehabilitation does not always result in a more functionally useful arm. Our results pave the way for targeted interventions such as habit breaking techniques to be included in clinical practise.</p>","PeriodicalId":16384,"journal":{"name":"Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation","volume":"22 1","pages":"135"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12175383/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144326061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neural mechanisms underlying the improvement of gait disturbances in stroke patients through robot-assisted gait training based on QEEG and fNIRS: a randomized controlled study.","authors":"Xiang Li, Huihuang Zhang, Wanying Zhang, Jianing Wu, Lei Dai, Nasha Long, Tiefeng Jin, Lei Gu, Jianer Chen","doi":"10.1186/s12984-025-01656-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12984-025-01656-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Robot-assisted gait training is more effective in improving lower limb function and walking ability in stroke patients compared to conventional rehabilitation, but the neural mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to explore the effects of robot-assisted gait training on lower limb motor dysfunction in stroke patients and its impact on neural activity in the motor cortex, providing objective evidence for clinical application.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Forty-two stroke patients meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to either the experimental group receiving robot-assisted gait training or the control group receiving conventional overground walking training. Assessments were conducted at baseline and after four weeks of treatment. Primary outcome measures included cortical activation measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), power ratio index (PRI), and delta/alpha power ratio (DAR) measured by quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG), and their correlation with the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) for lower limb motor function. Secondary outcome measures included FMA and Functional Ambulation Category (FAC).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Data from 36 patients (18 in each group) after four weeks of treatment were analyzed. The fNIRS results indicated better activation in the premotor and supplementary motor cortices in the robot-assisted gait training group compared to the control group. QEEG analysis showed reduced PRI and DAR in the premotor, supplementary motor, and primary motor cortices in the robot-assisted gait training group, suggesting improved motor function recovery in stroke patients. Clinical scale analysis revealed superior motor function recovery in the robot-assisted gait training group compared to the control group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Robot-assisted gait training significantly enhances activation in the primary motor cortex and supplementary motor area, potentially aiding stroke patients in recovering their ability to plan. PRI and DAR, particularly PRI, are valuable clinical indicators for assessing motor function recovery in stroke patients.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200060668). Registered on June 6, 2022; https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=171610 .</p>","PeriodicalId":16384,"journal":{"name":"Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation","volume":"22 1","pages":"136"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12175367/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144326060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evolution of joint power across the lifespan during walking.","authors":"Bernard X W Liew, Rachel Senden, David Rugamer, Kenneth Meijer, Qichang Mei, Kim Duffy, Kevin Netto, Matthew Taylor","doi":"10.1186/s12984-025-01647-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12984-025-01647-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To determine the evolution of lower-limb joint power values during walking across the lifespan.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Series of cross-sectional studies.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>This was a pooled analysis of the individual participant joint power data from six datasets, resulting in a sample size of 629 participants, between the ages of three to 91 years old.</p><p><strong>Main outcome measures: </strong>Three function-on-scalar regression models were fitted on the outcome measures of joint hip, knee, and ankle power. The covariates of this analysis included sex, age, walking speed, stride length, height, the interaction between age and speed, and a random intercept for different studies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Ankle push-off (A2) power peaked with a value of 2.46 (95%CI 2.41 to 2.50) W/kg in the 3rd decade of life. Hip early-stance power (H1) peaked in the 1st decade, which followed a sharp decline with age till the 3rd decade. Hip pull-off power (H3) increased sharply to 0.86 (95%CI 0.84 to 0.88) W/kg in the 5th decade and stabilised thereafter with older age.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Ankle push-off power appears to reach maturity in the 3rd decade of life. A strict temporal correspondence between a decline in ankle push-off power (A2) with age and a compensatory increase in hip pull-off power (H3) was not observed, challenging the distal-to-proximal alteration in propulsion strategy commonly attributed to the ageing process.</p>","PeriodicalId":16384,"journal":{"name":"Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation","volume":"22 1","pages":"133"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12160379/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144275144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"AGREE: an upper limb motorized exoskeleton for restoring arm functions: a single-blinded randomized controlled trial.","authors":"Marta Gandolla, Beatrice Luciani, Valeria Longatelli, Peppino Tropea, Agnese Seregni, Massimo Corbo, Francesco Braghin, Alessandra Pedrocchi","doi":"10.1186/s12984-025-01651-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12984-025-01651-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Technology-assisted neurorehabilitation is a promising strategy to address the healthcare system overload we are witnessing in recent years. Given the lack of concordance on the effectiveness of upper-limb exoskeletons, it is important to clinically test innovative prototypes. This randomized controlled trial evaluated AGREE, a motorized exoskeleton assisting shoulder and elbow movements with a novel unified control system, against standard care.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study involved 32 neurological patients with upper limb motor deficits at Casa di Cura del Policlinico (Italy). The randomization list was generated electronically to allocate participants into two groups. Both groups received 15 training sessions (45 min, three times weekly). The outcome measures considered were: (i) usability (System Usability Scale), (ii) clinical changes in Fugl-Meyer Assessment, Action Research Arm Test, Motricity Index, and Box and Block Test from baseline to post-treatment, and iii) treatment dosage.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The usability of the system was evaluated at the end of the intervention by participants with a resulting median SUS score of 68.7 (IQR = 31.8). Both groups showed comparable significant clinical improvements in all clinical outcome measures, with experimental group patients improving both according to the Fugl-Meyer ( <math><mi>Δ</mi></math>  FM = 2, IQR =4.5 ) and the Action Research Arm Test ( <math><mi>Δ</mi></math>  ARAT = 2, IQR = 4.5). The experimental group received significantly less actual treatment time than the control group, while the total number of sessions and therapy duration were equivalent for the two groups.</p><p><strong>Discussion and conclusions: </strong>Therapists operated the AGREE system independently, and no adverse events occurred. Patients reported a moderate usability of the system. While outcomes slightly favoured the control group for FM and ARAT scales, the obtained results support literature evidence, which indicates that the two treatments are globally comparable. Notably, the experimental group achieved comparable improvements with reduced treatment time, suggesting therapy consistency and frequency may be more impactful than session duration. Future research should further examine optimal rehabilitation dosing strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":16384,"journal":{"name":"Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation","volume":"22 1","pages":"134"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12160122/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144275142","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combining immersive exergaming with physiotherapy in a specialized intensive Parkinson's disease rehabilitation program: a randomized controlled trial.","authors":"Daniela Pimenta Silva, Raquel Bouça-Machado, Filipa Pona-Ferreira, Teresa Lobo, Ricardo Cacho, Rebekka Anker, John W Krakauer, Joaquim J Ferreira","doi":"10.1186/s12984-025-01640-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12984-025-01640-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Exergaming is a new technology for implementing innovative rehabilitation interventions for neurological conditions. Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of a novel exergaming experience called neuroanimation, in the form of MindPod^TM Dolphin, added to an intensive physiotherapy program for Parkinson's disease (PD).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>MindPod Dolphin provides a 2D oceanic environment where patients make high-amplitude 3D arm movements controlling an animated dolphin. We conducted a rater-blinded, randomized-controlled trial. Eligible people with PD were assigned into two groups: MindPod Dolphin over 12-weeks combined with physiotherapy (COM) or sequentially after 6-weeks of physiotherapy alone (SEQ). Sessions occurred three times/week. Assessments occurred at baseline, 6-week, 12-week, and 4-week post-intervention. The primary outcome was change from baseline to 6-week in the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Secondary outcomes were change, from baseline to each evaluation timepoint, in several motor, cognitive and quality of life measures. Participants' safety was assessed. Adherence, system usability and participants' satisfaction were used as measures of feasibility.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty individuals were recruited. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Our primary outcome (change in TUG from baseline to 6-week) did not significantly differ between groups [median TUG change in COM = 0.243 [-1.873, 1.176] vs. SEQ=-0.016 [-0.810, 0.350], estimated difference = 0.002 (95%CI -1.103; 1.273); p = 0.983]. Both groups improved in motor and cognitive measures with a trend favoring COM. When compared to SEQ, COM improved significantly in TUG cognitive from baseline to 16-week (p = 0.048). A main effect of time was observed for TUG cognitive in COM, and mini-BEST in SEQ. Adverse events (n = 309) were mostly mild (55%). Overall, 20 participants (67%) adhered to the study protocol, with the COM being more compliant than the SEQ group. MindPod Dolphin was considered easy to use and over 80% of participants were at least moderately satisfied with it as an intervention.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Neuroanimation-based exergaming in PD was feasible, safe and effective in improving multiple secondary measures. The advantages of the exergame became evident at 12-weeks and beyond, suggesting that it had cumulative and delayed beneficial effects on cognitive and motor outcomes when added to a lead-in phase of intense physiotherapy.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT04699617.</p>","PeriodicalId":16384,"journal":{"name":"Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation","volume":"22 1","pages":"131"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12153140/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144275143","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Validity and usability for digital cognitive assessment tools to screen for mild cognitive impairment: a randomized crossover trial.","authors":"Min Wu, Jialin Feng, Ruini Sun, Shangyang Zhang, Yongjin Zhang, Fengjie Yang, Xiaoyi Zhang, Yunxian Ye, Ni Gong, Jing Liao","doi":"10.1186/s12984-025-01665-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12984-025-01665-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The practicality of implementing digital cognitive screening tests in primary health care (PHC) for the detection of cognitive impairments, particularly among populations with lower education levels, remains unclear. The aim of this study is to assess the validity and usability of digital cognitive screening tests in PHC settings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We utilized a randomized crossover design, whereby 47 community-dwelling participants aged 65 and above were randomized into two groups. One group completed the paper-based Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clock Drawing Test (CDT) first, followed by the tablet-based digital version after a two-week washout period, while the other group did the reverse. Validity was assessed by Spearman correlation, linear mixed-effects models, sensitivity specificity, and area under the curve (AUC). Usability was assessed through the Usefulness, Satisfaction, and Ease of Use (USE) questionnaire, participant preferences and assessment duration. Regression analyses were conducted to explore the impact of usability on digital test scores, controlling for cognitive level, education, age, and gender.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Regarding validity, digital tests showed moderate correlations with paper-based versions and superior AUC performance. The AUC was 0.65 for the MMSE versus 0.82 for the electronic MMSE (eMMSE), and 0.45 for the CDT compared to 0.65 for the electronic CDT (eCDT). Regarding usability, while older participants gave positive feedback on digital tests (P < 0.001), they preferred paper-based versions. The eMMSE took significantly longer to complete than the MMSE, averaging 7.11 min versus 6.21 min (P = 0.01). Notably, digital test scores were minimally affected by subjective attitudes but strongly linked to test duration (β = -0.62, 95% CI: -1.07 to -0.17).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Digital cognitive tests are valid and feasible in PHC settings but face implementation challenges, especially in usability and adaptability among individuals with lower education levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":16384,"journal":{"name":"Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation","volume":"22 1","pages":"132"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12153127/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144275056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A pilot study for self-guided, active robotic training of proprioception of the upper limb in chronic stroke.","authors":"Duncan T Tulimieri, GilHwan Kim, Joanna E Hoh, Fabrizio Sergi, Jennifer A Semrau","doi":"10.1186/s12984-025-01660-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12984-025-01660-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Proprioceptive impairments of the upper limb are common after stroke. These impairments are not typically addressed during assessment or rehabilitation. Currently, most robotic paradigms for training of the upper limb have focused solely on improving motor function or have targeted proprioception in individuals with combined use of visual feedback. Our goal was to design a training paradigm that directly targets proprioception of the upper limb, while minimizing reliance on other sensory information to improve sensorimotor function after stroke.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this pilot study, 5 individuals with stroke and 5 age-matched controls were tested on a single-day proprioceptive training paradigm. Here, participants used a joystick with their less-affected arm to send commands to a KINARM exoskeleton that would passively move their more-affected arm. To complete the passive reaching task, participants relied only on proprioceptive feedback from the more-affected arm and were only given knowledge of results information after each trial. Sensorimotor function of the upper limb was measured pre- and post-training via robotic measures of motor function [Visually Guided Reaching (VGR)] and position sense [Arm Position Matching (APM)]. Sensorimotor function was quantified as a Task Score, which incorporated multiple task-relevant parameters for both VGR and APM. Changes in sensorimotor performance due to training were calculated as the pre- to post-training difference for VGR and APM within the control and stroke groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found significant improvements from pre-training to post-training for VGR in individuals with stroke (p < 0.001, CLES = 100) that were not observed in control participants (p = 0.87, CLES = 80). We observed significant changes from pre- to post-training in both VGR (Posture Speed, Reaction Time, Initial Direction Angle, Min-Max Speed Difference, and Movement Time) and APM (Contraction/Expansion Ratio_x and Shift_y) parameters.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our novel proprioceptive training paradigm is one of the first to implement a self-guided sensory training protocol. We observed improvements in motor function and proprioception for individuals with stroke. This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of self-guided proprioceptive training to improve motor and sensory function in individuals with stroke. Future studies aim to examine multi-day training to examine longer-term impacts on upper limb sensorimotor function.</p>","PeriodicalId":16384,"journal":{"name":"Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation","volume":"22 1","pages":"130"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12145635/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144248312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In vivo estimation of motor unit intrinsic properties in individuals with spinal cord injury.","authors":"Zhihao Duan, Asta Kizyte, Emelie Butler Forslund, Elena M Gutierrez-Farewik, Pawel Herman, Ruoli Wang","doi":"10.1186/s12984-025-01659-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12984-025-01659-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Individuals who have experienced spinal cord injury (SCI) may exhibit various muscle-related neurophysiological adaptations, including alterations in motor unit (MU) size and firing behavior. However, due to the technical challenges of in vivo measurement, our understanding of the alterations in the electrophysiological parameters of these MUs remains limited. This study proposed an integrated approach using high-density electromyography (HD-EMG) decomposition and motor neuron (MN) modelling to estimate the intrinsic properties of MUs in vivo and investigated alterations of these properties in persons with SCI.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>HD-EMG signals were recorded during submaximal isometric dorsiflexion and plantar flexion tasks on tibialis anterior (TA), soleus, and gastrocnemius medialis muscles from twenty-six participants with SCI and eighteen non-disabled controls. The HD-EMG signals were subsequently decomposed into MN spike trains and the common synaptic input to the MN pool was estimated. A simplified leaky integrate-and-fire neuron model was then used to simulate MN spiking trains, with soma size and inert period as tunning parameters, which are crucial for MU recruitment and firing patterns, respectively. These parameters were estimated by fitting the instantaneous discharge frequencies of decomposed and simulated spike trains via a genetic algorithm.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results showed a prolonged inert period in the TA of the persons with SCI. This finding suggested that the MUs in the TA have a slower recovery period before becoming excitable again, which may result in a lower firing rate of MUs in the TA muscle. No significant differences were observed in the soleus and gastrocnemius medialis muscles between the SCI and control groups for either the soma size or inert period parameters.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The simplified leaky integrate-and-fire model exhibited robustness in estimating MN parameters in vivo, offering valuable insights into personalized MU behavior monitoring. To the best knowledge of authors, this is the first study to combine HD-EMG and MU modeling to investigate MU electrophysiological changes in persons with SCI in vivo. This novel approach offers a comprehensive understanding of MU properties adaptations following neurological disorders and informs the development of novel rehabilitation strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":16384,"journal":{"name":"Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation","volume":"22 1","pages":"128"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12139106/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144225700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Outcome measures of instrumented gait analysis in hereditary spastic paraplegia: a systematic review.","authors":"Veronika Koch, Alzhraa Ibrahim, Juergen Winkler, Bjoern Eskofier, Martin Regensburger, Heiko Gassner","doi":"10.1186/s12984-025-01646-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12984-025-01646-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) comprise a group of genetic movement disorders characterized by progressive spasticity and weakness of the lower limbs leading to gait deficits. Instrumented gait measures are applied to quantify gait patterns in HSP objectively. However, there is no consensus on the most relevant HSP-specific digital outcome measures for future clinical studies.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>This systematic review aims to summarize outcome measures of instrumented gait analysis in HSP patients, focusing on both traditional motion capture (MOCAP) and inertial sensor systems.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Following PRISMA-2020 guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify studies using instrumented gait analysis in HSP. Data on participant characteristics, measurement systems, outcome measures, results, and risk of bias were systematically extracted.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In total, 38 studies published between 2004 and 2024, including 29 observational studies and 9 interventional studies, met the inclusion criteria. Various gait parameters were used, including spatio-temporal, kinematic, kinetic, and electromyography (EMG) parameters. Walking speed and range-of-motion (ROM) knee were identified as important parameters for differentiating HSP patients from healthy controls, but these parameters are more general rather than disease-specific. Foot lift, ROM foot, and gait variability are promising, more disease-specific parameters, as they reflect disease severity and increased balance deficits. However, a deeper understanding of all gait parameter categories is necessary, particularly for the upper body. Few studies explored sub-cohorts that exhibit different HSP gait characteristics.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>While MOCAP provides valuable data in controlled hospital environments, there is a need for validated mobile sensor systems capturing the gait patterns of HSP patients in real-life without supervision. Future research must focus on better longitudinal multicenter studies with larger sample sizes to establish robust digital outcomes and monitor disease progression and therapeutic response in HSP.</p>","PeriodicalId":16384,"journal":{"name":"Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation","volume":"22 1","pages":"129"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12139076/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144234381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}