The Effects of EMG Based Fatigue-Controlled and Forced Exercise on Motor Function Recovery: A Pilot Study

Post-stroke physical training resulting in fatigue may affect motor rehabilitation. In this study, we compared the effects of fatigue-controlled and forced treadmill running on motor recovery based on a rat intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) model. Twelve Sprague-Dawley rats with ICH received electromyography (EMG) electrodes implantation in the gastrocnemius muscle in the affected hindlimb. They were randomly distributed into three groups: control (n=4), forced exercise (n=4) and fatigue-controlled (n=4) groups. The training intensity in the fatigue-controlled exercise was monitored by calculating the real-time mean power frequency (MPF) of EMG. The training intervention started from forty-eight hours after ICH surgery. Modified neurological severity score was applied daily during the following 13-day intervention to evaluate motor recovery. The results showed that fatigue-controlled group achieved the best motor recovery compared with the other two (P <; 0.05).