{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]],"date-time":"2026-05-13T03:51:25Z","timestamp":1778644285835,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,30]],"date-time":"2021-04-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1619740800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Sustained involuntary muscle activity (IMA) is a highly disabling and not completely understood phenomenon that occurs after a central nervous system lesion. We tested the feasibility of in-field IMA measuring at an acute rehabilitation ward. We used wearable probes for single differential surface EMG (sEMG), inclusive of a 3D accelerometer, onboard memory and remote control. We collected 429 h of data from the biceps brachii of 10 patients with arm plegia. Data quality was first verified in the time and frequency domains. Next, IMA was automatically identified based on the steady presence of motor unit action potential (MUAP) trains at rest. Feasibility was excellent in terms of prep time and burden to the clinical staff. A total of 350.5 h of data (81.7%) were reliable. IMA was found in 85.9 h (25%). This was often present in the form of exceedingly long-lasting trains of one or a few MUAPs, with differences among patients and variability, both within and between days in terms of IMA duration, root mean square (RMS) and peak-to-peak amplitude. Our results proved the feasibility of using wearable probes for single differential sEMG to identify and quantify IMA in plegic muscles of bedridden acute neurological patients. Our results also suggest the need for long-lasting acquisitions to properly characterize IMA. The possibility of easily assessing IMA in acute inpatients can have a huge impact on the management of their postures, physiotherapy and treatments.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s21093120","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,30]],"date-time":"2021-04-30T05:10:55Z","timestamp":1619759455000},"page":"3120","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Monitoring Involuntary Muscle Activity in Acute Patients with Upper Motor Neuron Lesion by Wearable Sensors: A Feasibility Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Andrea","family":"Merlo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"LAM-Motion Analysis Laboratory, S. Sebastiano Hospital, Neuromotor and Rehabilitation Department, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Via Circondaria 29, 42015 Correggio, Italy"},{"name":"Merlo Bioengineering, 43121 Parma, Italy"}]},{"given":"Maria Giulia","family":"Montecchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neurorehabilitation Unit, S. Sebastiano Hospital, Neuromotor and Rehabilitation Department, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Via Circondaria 29, 42015 Correggio, Italy"}]},{"given":"Francesco","family":"Lombardi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neurorehabilitation Unit, S. Sebastiano Hospital, Neuromotor and Rehabilitation Department, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Via Circondaria 29, 42015 Correggio, Italy"}]},{"given":"Xhejsi","family":"Vata","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LAM-Motion Analysis Laboratory, S. Sebastiano Hospital, Neuromotor and Rehabilitation Department, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Via Circondaria 29, 42015 Correggio, Italy"}]},{"given":"Aurora","family":"Musi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LAM-Motion Analysis Laboratory, S. Sebastiano Hospital, Neuromotor and Rehabilitation Department, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Via Circondaria 29, 42015 Correggio, Italy"}]},{"given":"Mirco","family":"Lusuardi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neuromotor and Rehabilitation Department, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Via Circondaria 29, 42015 Correggio, Italy"}]},{"given":"Roberto","family":"Merletti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory for Engineering of the Neuromuscular System (LISiN), Department of Electronic Engineering and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, Italy"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9286-6711","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Isabella","family":"Campanini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LAM-Motion Analysis Laboratory, S. Sebastiano Hospital, Neuromotor and Rehabilitation Department, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Via Circondaria 29, 42015 Correggio, Italy"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Ropper, A.H., Samuels, M.A., and Klein, J.P. (2019). Adams and Victor\u2019s Principles of Neurology, McGraw-Hill Education. [7th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"552","DOI":"10.1002\/mus.20285","article-title":"Pathophysiology of spastic paresis. II: Emergence of muscle overactivity","volume":"31","author":"Gracies","year":"2005","journal-title":"Muscle Nerve"},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"1","article-title":"Feasibility and effects of patient-cooperative robot-aided gait training applied in a 4-week pilot trial","volume":"9","author":"Vallery","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Neuroeng. 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