EMG Signs of Motor Units’ Enlargement in Stroke Survivors

The degeneration of lower motoneurons has often been reported in stroke survivors, with possible collateral reinnervation from the surviving to denervated muscle fibers. Under this assumption, a would be expected increase size motor units paretic muscles. We indirectly address issue electrical stimulation and surface electromyography, asking whether leads greater variations amplitude M waves elicited muscles than contralateral, non-paretic Current pulses at progressively intensities were applied musculocutaneous nerve, stimulating supplying biceps brachii eight patients. increases consecutively, hereafter defined as increments, was considered evaluate changes innervation ratio following stroke. Our findings showed that patients presented significantly (p = 0.016) increments limbs. This result corroborates notion takes place after stroke, enlarging units’ magnitude responses. Therefore, non-invasive analysis proposed here may useful for health professionals assess disease progression by tracking neuromuscular likely associated clinical outcomes such muscles’ strength.