Nonlinear functional muscle network based on information theory tracks sensorimotor integration post stroke

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 13029 - 14
• Main Authors: O’Keeffe, Rory, Shirazi, Seyed Yahya, Bilaloglu, Seda, Jahed, Shayan, Bighamian, Ramin, Raghavan, Preeti, Atashzar, S. Farokh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 29.07.2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/378/116; 639/166/985; Arm; Biomarkers; Brain research; Central nervous system; Coordination; Electromyography; Hand; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Information Theory; Motor ability; Motor task performance; multidisciplinary; Muscle function; Muscles; Nervous system; Neurological disorders; Paresis; Rehabilitation; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sensorimotor integration; Sensory integration; Stroke; Stroke Rehabilitation - methods; Upper Extremity
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16483-x
• ISSN: 2045-2322

Sensory information is critical for motor coordination. However, understanding sensorimotor integration is complicated, especially in individuals with impairment due to injury to the central nervous system. This research presents a novel functional biomarker, based on a nonlinear network graph of muscle connectivity, called InfoMuNet, to quantify the role of sensory information on motor performance. Thirty-two individuals with post-stroke hemiparesis performed a grasp-and-lift task, while their muscle activity from 8 muscles in each arm was measured using surface electromyography. Subjects performed the task with their affected hand before and after sensory exposure to the task performed with the less-affected hand. For the first time, this work shows that InfoMuNet robustly quantifies changes in functional muscle connectivity in the affected hand after exposure to sensory information from the less-affected side. > 90% of the subjects conformed with the improvement resulting from this sensory exposure. InfoMuNet also shows high sensitivity to tactile, kinesthetic, and visual input alterations at the subject level, highlighting its potential use in precision rehabilitation interventions.