Muscle Activation Patterns of Forearm during Driving a Power Wheelchair

Power wheelchairs is available for cerebral palsy children to moving quickly reach the desired destination. Cerebral palsy children can not smooth control the wheelchair that due to the abnormal involuntary spasms and tension. The purpose of this study was used electromyographic (EMG) to assess the muscle activation patterns during driving the power wheelchair. We recruited a healthy individual in this evaluating examination. The evaluating examination were divided into a control group and the experimental group. As the control group, the subject was required to forward movement by controlling the wheelchair joystick; as the experimental group, the subject was required to backward movement, left turning, and right turning, respectively. The surface EMG was used to record the contraction of three right upper limbs muscles, including extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU), flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU), and flexor carpi radialis FCR). The results showed that the three right upper limb muscles profile a different activation patterns during driving a power wheelchair. The findings imply that the muscle sequence pattern can be used to profile the joystick control strategy in power wheelchairs.[[abstract]]Power wheelchairs is available for cerebral palsy children to moving quickly reach the desired destination. Cerebral palsy children can not smooth control the wheelchair that due to the abnormal involuntary spasms and tension. The purpose of this study was used electromyographic (EMG) to assess the muscle activation patterns during driving the power wheelchair. We recruited a healthy individual in this evaluating examination. The evaluating examination were divided into a control group and the experimental group. As the control group, the subject was required to forward movement by controlling the wheelchair joystick; as the experimental group, the subject was required to backward movement, left turning, and right turning, respectively. The surface EMG was used to record the contraction of three right upper limbs muscles, including extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU), flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU), and flexor carpi radialis FCR). The results showed that the three right upper limb muscles profile a different activation patterns during driving a power wheelchair. The findings imply that the muscle sequence pattern can be used to profile the joystick control strategy in power wheelchairs