Controllability in humans: an exploratory study

Restoration of reduced or lost voluntary control after spinal cord injury (SCI) in humans is a key goal of SCI research. Objective methods to assess the degree of remaining motor control are lacking. This study proposes a motor task of alternating ankle movements, monitored by surface electromyography (sEMG) and movement sensors as a means of characterizing the limits of normal motor control. This paper presents normative results in ten healthy subjects for this voluntary motor task.