High-Density Myoelectric Pattern Recognition Toward Improved Stroke Rehabilitation

Myoelectric pattern-recognition techniques have been developed to infer user´s intention of performing different functional movements. Thus electromyogram (EMG) can be used as control signals of assisted devices for people with disabilities. Pattern-recognition-based myoelectric control systems have rarely been designed for stroke survivors. Aiming at developing such a system for improved stroke rehabilitation, this study assessed detection of the affected limb´s movement intention using high-density surface EMG recording and pattern-recognition techniques. Surface EMG signals comprised of 89 channels were recorded from 12 hemiparetic stroke subjects while they tried to perform 20 different arm, hand, and finger/thumb movements involving the affected limb. A series of pattern-recognition algorithms were implemented to identify the intended tasks of each stroke subject. High classification accuracies (96.1% ± 4.3%) were achieved, indicating that substantial motor control information can be extracted from paretic muscles of stroke survivors. Such information may potentially facilitate improved stroke rehabilitation.