Muscle fatigue assessment during robot-mediated movements.
Maddalena Mugnosso, Francesca Marini, Michael Holmes and 2 others
PMID 30558608WHAT IT FOUND
A wrist robot test showed fatigue-related muscle changes in 40 healthy adults without maximal effort.
The most consistent onset marker appeared within the first 25 movements. It was not tested in patients, so it does not change care.
Key findings
01The wrist flexor showed a larger EMG fatigue signal than the extensor, with average decreases of 31% and 24%.
02A fatigue onset marker set at a 25% drop was the most consistent, appearing within the first 25 movements.
03Movement speed rose in the first 20% of the task then plateaued, and the movement pattern did not change.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 40 healthy adults with no motor disorders, so it does not show how the test performs in patients with neuromuscular disease. The curve used to estimate fatigue onset fit well in only 12 of 20 extension-group subjects and 9 of 20 flexion-group subjects. The authors state that pilot experiments with neuromuscular and age-matched healthy subjects are still needed to confirm the results. The test stopped when participants felt they could no longer complete it, so the endpoint was partly subjective. Force settings were chosen by sex rather than individual wrist strength, and only one wrist extensor muscle was recorded.
Declared interests
The supplied text lists FP7 International Cooperation as funder, and the publication types include Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this robot test is ready for clinical use in patients with neuromuscular disease. It was only tested in 40 healthy adults, and the authors state that pilot experiments with neuromuscular and age-matched healthy subjects are still needed to confirm the results.