Activation of selected trunk muscles during symmetric functional activities in poststroke hemiparetic and hemiplegic patients

Abstract

In patients with a supratentorial poststroke hemiparesis or hemiplegia, bilateral corresponding axial trunk muscles co-contract during symmetric trunk activities. Synchronous activation is at its highest level during voluntary dynamic tasks and is greater in the recti abdominii than in the erector spinae muscles. For both muscles, EMG activation levels on the paretic side were not lower than on the non-paretic side. Thus, the assertion that the muscles on the paretic side are activated to a lesser extent than their counterparts on the non-paretic side during symmetric trunk movements was not confirmed.