The Therapeutic Effects of Myoelectrically Controlled Robotic System for Persons after Stroke-A Pilot Study

• Published in: 2006 International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Vol. 2006; pp. 4945 - 4948
• Main Authors: Song, R., Tong, K.Y., Hu, X.L., Tsang, S.F., Li, L.
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States IEEE 2006
• Subjects: Biomedical informatics; Control systems; Data acquisition; Elbow; Elbow Joint - pathology; Electromyography; Electromyography - instrumentation; Electromyography - methods; Electronics, Medical; Equipment Design; Humans; Isometric Contraction; Muscle Contraction; Muscle, Skeletal - pathology; Muscles; Pilot Projects; Rehabilitation robotics; Robot control; Robotics; Signal processing; Stroke Rehabilitation; Time Factors; Torque; Torque control; Treatment Outcome
• ISBN: 9781424400324; 1424400325
• ISSN: 1557-170X
• DOI: 10.1109/IEMBS.2006.260186

In this study, a myoelectrically controlled robotic system with one degree of freedom was developed to assist elbow training in the horizontal plane for patients after stroke. The system could provide assistive extension torque which was proportional to the amplitude of the subject's processed and normalized electromyograhpic (EMG) signal from triceps. The system also provided different resistive torques during movement, which were based on the maximum isometric voluntary extension (MIVE) and flexion (MIVF) torques. A study investigated its effect after 20-session of training for four weeks on the functional improvement of the affected arm in 3 subjects after stroke. Outcome measurements on the muscle strength at the elbow joint showed that there were increases in the MIVE and MIVF torques of the affected arms of all the subjects after the four-week rehabilitation training. The subjects could also reach a more extended position without the assistance of the robotic system than that before the four-week training