Upper Limb Joint Space Modeling of Stroke Induced Synergies Using Isolated and Voluntary Arm Perturbations

Among other diminished motor capabilities, survivors of a stroke often exhibit joint synergies. These synergies are stereotypically characterized by involuntary joint co-activation. With respect to the upper limbs, such synergies diminish coordination in reaching, pointing, and other daily tasks. The primary goal of this research is to model synergy and quantify it in a comprehensive and mathematically tractable form. A motion capture system was used to measure joint rotations from stroke survivors and control subjects. These data showed that joint synergies are nonunique and asymmetric. The model also provided a way to calculate joint combinations that result in maximum and minimum synergy. Beyond providing a more complete view of synergies, this approach could facilitate new ways to evaluate and treat stroke survivors. In particular, this approach may have applications in diagnostic and treatment algorithms for use in rehabilitation robots.