Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41382226›Full record

ArticleJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2025

EMG-guided human-machine interaction training develops new intermuscular coordination patterns in stroke: a pilot study.

Gang Seo, Manuel Portilla-Jiménez, Michael Houston, Jeong-Ho Park, Hangil Lee, Sheng Li, Yingchun Zhang, Hyung-Soon Park, Jinsook Roh

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Gang SeoDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston, 3517 Cullen Blvd, SERC Room 2011, Houston, TX, 77204-5060, USA.
Manuel Portilla-JiménezDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston, 3517 Cullen Blvd, SERC Room 2011, Houston, TX, 77204-5060, USA.
Michael HoustonDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston, 3517 Cullen Blvd, SERC Room 2011, Houston, TX, 77204-5060, USA.
Jeong-Ho ParkDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea.
Hangil LeeDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea.
Sheng LiUniversity of Texas Health Science Center - Houston, and TIRR Memorial Herman, Houston, TX, USA.
Yingchun ZhangDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston, 3517 Cullen Blvd, SERC Room 2011, Houston, TX, 77204-5060, USA.
Hyung-Soon ParkDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea.
Jinsook RohDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston, 3517 Cullen Blvd, SERC Room 2011, Houston, TX, 77204-5060, USA. jroh@uh.edu.

Funding

National Science Foundation 2145321
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundStroke survivors often experience impaired upper extremity motor function due to abnormal muscle synergies. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of electromyography-guided human-machine interaction training designed to expand the repertoire of intermuscular coordination patterns and improve upper extremity motor function in chronic stroke survivors.

methodsFour chronic stroke survivors with mild-to-moderate upper extremity motor impairment and three age-matched healthy controls participated in a six-week electromyography-guided training intervention. Participants practiced selectively activating one elbow flexor muscle while suppressing another (brachioradialis or biceps brachii). Throughout the course of the intervention, the effect of the training on intermuscular coordination, task performance, and motor function and impairment level of the stroke-affected upper extremity were assessed.

resultsParticipants in both the control and stroke groups successfully learned to selectively activate targeted muscles, expanding their repertoire of habitual intermuscular coordination patterns. Stroke survivors demonstrated improvements in force generation, reaching ability, wrist rotation, and clinical measures of upper extremity motor function and spasticity. Participants also reported improved ease in performing daily activities.

conclusionsThis is, to our knowledge, the first study to demonstrate the feasibility of using electromyography-guided human-machine interaction training to expand the repertoire of habitual intermuscular coordination patterns and improve upper extremity motor function in chronic stroke survivors. These findings highlight the potential of electromyography-guided human-machine interaction training as a neurorehabilitation approach to address motor deficits associated with abnormal intermuscular coordination following stroke.

trial registrationThe study was registered at the Clinical Research Information Service of Korea National Institute of Health (KCT0005803).

Indexed as

ElectromyographyMuscle, SkeletalStroke RehabilitationAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsStrokeUpper ExtremityEMG-guided exerciseHuman–machine interfaceIntermuscular coordinationMuscle synergyNeurorehabilitationStroke

Identifiers

PMID41382226
PMCPMC12802238

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.