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Functional muscle networks reveal the mechanistic effects of post-stroke rehabilitation on motor impairment and therapeutic responsiveness

O'Reilly, D.; Pregnolato, G.; Turolla, A.; Kiper, P.; Delis, I.; Severini, G.

2025-08-18 neuroscience
10.1101/2025.08.17.670726 bioRxiv
Show abstract

Standardised assessment of post-stroke motor impairment and treatment responsiveness remains a major clinical challenge. In this study, we tackle this challenge by applying a novel muscle network analysis framework to stroke survivors undergoing intensive upper-limb motor training. Our approach revealed distinct patterns of redundant and synergistic muscle interactions, collectively reflecting the diverse biomechanical roles of flexor- and extensor-driven networks. From these patterns, we derived new biomarkers that stratified patients by impairment severity and therapeutic responsiveness, each associated with unique physiological signatures. Notably, we identified a shift from redundancy to synergy in muscle coordination as a hallmark of effective rehabilitation--a transformation supported by a more precise quantification of treatment outcomes over conventional approaches. These findings offer an in-depth functional characterisation of post-stroke motor recovery and establish a robust, independent tool for evaluating rehabilitation efficacy.

Published in eLife (predicted rank #1) · training set

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