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Behrendt F1, Geiger D2, Schuster-Amft C1,3,4
1Reha Rheinfelden, Research Department, Rheinfelden, Switzerland, 2Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Physiotherapy, Winterthur, Switzerland, 3Bern University of Applied Sciences, Institute for Rehabilitation and Performance Technology, Burgdorf, Switzerland, 4University of Basel, Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Basel, Switzerland
Background: Stair climbing can be a challenging part of the daily life and hence a limiting factor for social participation, in particular for patients after stroke. In order to promote motor relearning of stair climbing, different therapeutical measures can be applied such as motor imagery and robot-assisted therapy. Both are common therapy measures and the effect on cortical processes of neuroplastic change is known, whereas the effect on the peripheral motor system is still unclear.
Purpose: We compared the patterns of electromyographic (EMG) activity during (1) a stepping task on the robot-assisted tilt table ERIGO, (2) motor imagery of stair climbing and (3) real stair climbing in healthy individuals for a subsequent study on patients with lower limb motor impairment. The aim was to evaluate the EMG activation pattern and to test the measurement set-up.
Methods: Electromyographic data of four muscles of the dominant leg were recorded during the three conditions in m. rectus femoris, m. biceps femoris, m. tibialis anterior and m. gastrocnemius medialis. The ERIGO was used with a cadence of 32 steps per minute and a verticalisation to the highest level (90°). This setting provided the best approximation to the upright posture and stepping cadence during real stair climbing. Motor imagery performance was also evaluated using three assessments: mental rotation, mental chronometry and the Kinaesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire. A Correlation coefficients calculation, as well as a wavelet analysis, were performed on the recorded data to assess a potential similarity in the EMG patterns.
Results: Twelve healthy individuals (age range 50.3±14.6 years, 8 females) presented a similar EMG activation modulation with moderate to strong positive correlation coefficients for stair climbing and stepping on a tilt table in m. rectus femoris, m. biceps femoris and m. tibialis anterior. No significant increase of EMG activity could be detected in any of the muscles during the motor imagery tasks which was confirmed by the wavelet analysis. However, at least a tendency towards a higher activation during motor imagery than during rest condition could be detected.
Conclusion(s): Robot-assisted tilt table stepping on the ERIGO evokes a similar activation pattern as compared to real stair climbing. In contrast, no EMG activation during motor imagery could be found in the present study.
Implications: On the basis of the results, it would be worthwhile to investigate the instantaneous and the long-term effect of stepping on the ERIGO on the EMG activation pattern in neurologic patients with a lower limb impairment. The goal would accordingly be to evaluate whether this intervention produces similar EMG pattern in such patients as in healthy individuals and whether it could thus be used as a preparatory measure that supports and facilitates the re-learning process of stair climbing.
Keywords: EMG in lower extremity muscles, motor imagery of stair climbing, robot-assisted tilt table stepping
Funding acknowledgements: The authors received no specific funding for this work.
Purpose: We compared the patterns of electromyographic (EMG) activity during (1) a stepping task on the robot-assisted tilt table ERIGO, (2) motor imagery of stair climbing and (3) real stair climbing in healthy individuals for a subsequent study on patients with lower limb motor impairment. The aim was to evaluate the EMG activation pattern and to test the measurement set-up.
Methods: Electromyographic data of four muscles of the dominant leg were recorded during the three conditions in m. rectus femoris, m. biceps femoris, m. tibialis anterior and m. gastrocnemius medialis. The ERIGO was used with a cadence of 32 steps per minute and a verticalisation to the highest level (90°). This setting provided the best approximation to the upright posture and stepping cadence during real stair climbing. Motor imagery performance was also evaluated using three assessments: mental rotation, mental chronometry and the Kinaesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire. A Correlation coefficients calculation, as well as a wavelet analysis, were performed on the recorded data to assess a potential similarity in the EMG patterns.
Results: Twelve healthy individuals (age range 50.3±14.6 years, 8 females) presented a similar EMG activation modulation with moderate to strong positive correlation coefficients for stair climbing and stepping on a tilt table in m. rectus femoris, m. biceps femoris and m. tibialis anterior. No significant increase of EMG activity could be detected in any of the muscles during the motor imagery tasks which was confirmed by the wavelet analysis. However, at least a tendency towards a higher activation during motor imagery than during rest condition could be detected.
Conclusion(s): Robot-assisted tilt table stepping on the ERIGO evokes a similar activation pattern as compared to real stair climbing. In contrast, no EMG activation during motor imagery could be found in the present study.
Implications: On the basis of the results, it would be worthwhile to investigate the instantaneous and the long-term effect of stepping on the ERIGO on the EMG activation pattern in neurologic patients with a lower limb impairment. The goal would accordingly be to evaluate whether this intervention produces similar EMG pattern in such patients as in healthy individuals and whether it could thus be used as a preparatory measure that supports and facilitates the re-learning process of stair climbing.
Keywords: EMG in lower extremity muscles, motor imagery of stair climbing, robot-assisted tilt table stepping
Funding acknowledgements: The authors received no specific funding for this work.
Topic: Neurology
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: EKNZ
Ethics committee: Ethikkommission Nordwest- und Zentralschweiz
Ethics number: 2016-00837
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
