Muscle synergy patterns as physiological markers of motor cortical damage

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1212056109
• Publication Date: 2012-08-21T04:30:12Z
• Authors: Vincent C. K. Cheung; Andrea Turolla; Michela Agostini; Stefano Silvoni; Caoimhe Bennis; Patrick Kasi; Sabrina Paganoni; Paolo Bonato; Emilio Bizzi
• Keywords: Stroke; Motor coordination

The experimental findings herein reported are aimed at gaining a perspective on the complex neural events that follow lesions of motor cortical areas. Cortical damage, whether by trauma or stroke, interferes with flow descending signals to modular interneuronal structures spinal cord. These modules subserve normal behaviors activating groups muscles as individual units (muscle synergies). Damage areas disrupts orchestration modules, resulting in abnormal movements. To gain insights into this process, we recorded myoelectric from multiple upper-limb subjects lesions. We used factorization algorithm identify muscle synergies. Our analysis revealed, quantitative way, three distinct patterns coordination-including preservation, merging, and fractionation synergies-that reflect responses occur after damage. varied function both severity functional impairment temporal distance stroke onset. think these muscle-synergy can be physiological markers status any patient trauma, thereby guiding development different rehabilitation approaches, well future experiments for further understanding postinjury mechanisms control recovery.