Keywords

Corticomuscular Coherence (CMC), Electroencephalography (EEG), Electromyography (EMG), Neurorehabilitation, Neural engineering, Motor Control

Subject Categories

Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering

Abstract

Clinical neurorehabilitation requires objective biomarkers to accurately detect and monitor neuromotor impairments. While traditional metrics are favored for their efficiency and minimal equipment demands, they typically rely on subjective observation and lack physiological resolution. High-resolution electrophysiological technologies, such as electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG), offer objective insights into nervous system dynamics; however, prolonged data acquisition times have hindered their translation into frontline clinics. To bridge this translational gap, this study developed a time-efficient experimental paradigm designed for rapid clinical deployment. Healthy participants completed two initial resting baseline trials before performing an externally paced, dynamic, cyclic ankle movement task utilizing simulation racing pedals. Brain-muscle functional connectivity was quantified via wavelet corticomuscular coherence between the motor cortex (Cz) and the bilateral tibialis anterior and medial gastrocnemius muscles. Mechanical resistance varied across fifteen randomized trials by altering the internal spring stiffness of the pedals, while ankle angles were tracked via inertial measurement units (IMUs). The entire data collection took an average of 70 minutes, demonstrating clinical feasibility. Analysis revealed distinct differences in muscle roles, driven specifically by a significant reduction in the agonist muscle's coherence volume across a broad frequency band (6–59 Hz) when compared to the antagonist muscle. This decreased agonist coherence initiated within the beta band, peaked across the gamma region during the middle of the movement, and subsequently returned to the beta band. These results demonstrate how dynamic muscle activation patterns distinctly modulate cortical synchronization, resulting in an attenuation of synchronization specifically within the agonist pathway. Ultimately, this time-efficient protocol offers an objective method for profiling motor control loops, establishing a foundational baseline for tracking future neurorehabilitation outcomes.

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Summer

Committee Chair

Helen J Huang

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Format

PDF

Document Type

Thesis

Language

English

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