The Muscle Activation Differences in Post-Stroke Upper Limb Flexion Synergy Based on Spinal Cord Segments: A Preliminary Proof-of-Concept Study

Gang Liu; Chin-Hsuan Chia; Wei-Ning Wang; Yue Cao; Shan Tian; Xue-Yan Shen; Ying Chen; Rong-Rong Lu; Jun-Fa Wu; Yu-Lian Zhu; Yi Wu

doi:10.3389/fneur.2021.598554

The Muscle Activation Differences in Post-Stroke Upper Limb Flexion Synergy Based on Spinal Cord Segments: A Preliminary Proof-of-Concept Study

Front Neurol. 2021 Jul 22:12:598554. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2021.598554. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Gang Liu¹, Chin-Hsuan Chia², Wei-Ning Wang¹, Yue Cao¹, Shan Tian¹, Xue-Yan Shen¹, Ying Chen¹, Rong-Rong Lu¹, Jun-Fa Wu¹, Yu-Lian Zhu¹, Yi Wu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
² Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the activation difference of muscles innervated by cervical cord 5-6 (C5-C6) and cervical cord 8- thoracic cord 1 (C8-T1) in upper limb flexion synergy after stroke. Methods: Surface electromyography (sEMG) signals were collected during elbow flexion in stroke patients and healthy controls. The study compared normalized activation of two pairs of muscles that could cause similar joint movement but which dominated different spinal cord segments (clavicular part of the pectoralis major, PC vs. Sternocostal part of the pectoralis major, PS; Flexor carpi radialis, FCR vs. Flexor carpi ulnaris, FCU). In each muscle pair, one muscle was innervated by the same spinal cord segment (C5-C6), dominating the elbow flexion and the other was not. The comparison of the activation of the same muscle between patients and healthy controls was undertaken after standardization based on the activation of the biceps brachii in elbow flexion. Results: There was no difference between the PC and PS's normalized activation in healthy controls while the PC's normalized activation was higher than PS in stroke patients during elbow flexion. Similarly, there was no significant difference in normalized activation between FCR and FCU in healthy controls, and the same is true for stroke patients. However, the standardized activation of both FCR and FCU in stroke patients was significantly lower than that in healthy controls. Conclusion: After stroke, the activation of the distal muscles of the upper limb decreased significantly regardless of the difference of spinal cord segments; while the activation of the proximal muscles innervated by the same spinal cord segment (C5-C6) dominating the elbow flexion showed higher activation during flexion synergy. The difference in muscle activation based on spinal cord segments may be the reason for the stereotyped joint movement of upper limb flexion synergy.

Keywords: flexion synergy; muscle activation; spinal cord segments; stroke; upper limb.