Upper extremity muscle activation during drinking from a glass in subjects with chronic stroke.
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the muscle activities of upper extremities during a drinking task between the stroke-affected and less-affected sides. [Subjects] Eight stroke patients (8 men; age 45.3 years; stroke duration 21.9 months) participated in this study. [Methods] Electromyography (EMG) was used to measure nine muscle activities of the upper extremity. The drinking task was divided into 5 phases. [Results] Analysis of the EMG data showed that the percentage of maximum voluntary isometric contraction (%MVIC) across all phases of drinking differed between the affected and less-affected sides. Participants used relatively higher levels of %MVIC in the anterior deltoid, flexor muscles, brachioradialis, and infraspinatus on the stoke-affected side. [Conclusion] The difference in muscle activation across all phases of the drinking movement allowed us to determine how upper extremity muscle activation may influence drinking performance on the stroke-affected and less-affected sides.
Department of Motor and Cognitive Rehabilitation, Korea National Rehabilitation Research Institute, Republic of Korea.
Jung Ah
JA
Lee
Department of Motor and Cognitive Rehabilitation, Korea National Rehabilitation Research Institute, Republic of Korea.
Pil Woo
PW
Hwang
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Korea National Rehabilitation Hospital, Republic of Korea.
Eun Joo
EJ
Kim
Drinking; EMG; Stroke