Robotic Assistance Maintains Corticomuscular Coherence in Standardized Reaching Tasks
摘要
Corticomuscular coherence (CMC) reflects functional connectivity between the motor cortex and muscles, providing insights into neural control mechanisms. It serves as a potential biomarker for assessing motor function, especially in neurorehabilitation contexts. This study investigates CMC modulation during a standardized robot-assisted reaching task, motivated by the need to understand how assistive technology, like exoskeletons, influences it. 20 healthy subjects performed the task under three conditions: without assistance, and with low and high levels of exoskeleton support. High-density EEG and surface EMG recordings were analyzed to compute CMC in alpha (8–13 Hz) and beta (13–30 Hz) bands. Results indicated no significant differences in CMC across conditions, suggesting that exoskeleton interaction does not alter healthy CMC. These findings support the potential of CMC as a stable measure for motor function in rehabilitation settings, warranting further exploration in clinical populations and with diverse assistive technologies.