Authors: Cassandra L Burdick, Caleb J Thomson, Troy N Tully, Jacob A George
Mentors: Caleb Thomson
Insitution: University of Utah
The long-term goal of this research is to decode fine motor intent from electromyography (EMG) of hemiparetic muscles. Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States, with 800,000 individuals experiencing a stroke each year. Eighty percent of stroke survivors experience hemiparesis. Severe hemiparesis immobilizes the arm, making it difficult to assess EMG control and motor function on traditional tasks. Here, we introduce a variant of the clinical Box and Blocks Test (BBT) of hand dexterity in virtual reality (VR) to assess fine motor function of EMG control in hemiparetic stroke patients with immobile arms. Our VR variant of the BBT allows individuals to control a VR hand to transfer VR blocks back and forth between two locations separated by a barrier. The VR hand can grasp, rotate, and translate based on EMG commands or other control signals received at 30 Hz via UDP communication. The forces exerted on the blocks and the location of the blocks and hand are logged to assess grasping precision, force regulation, and transfer rate. Multiple block sizes can also be used to assess dexterity with various grip apertures. The ability to assess EMG control in patients with hemiparesis can support the development of myoelectric orthoses. Practicing dexterous myoelectric control in VR may also help alleviate hemiparesis and expedite qualification for myoelectric orthoses.