1
|
Merletti R. Metrology in sEMG and movement analysis: the need for training new figures in clinical rehabilitation. FRONTIERS IN REHABILITATION SCIENCES 2024; 5:1353374. [PMID: 38348456 PMCID: PMC10859507 DOI: 10.3389/fresc.2024.1353374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
A new educational curriculum for the next generation of physical and occupational therapists is urgent in order to manage the recent fast advances in sensors, measurement technologies and related instrumentation. This is required by the growing role of STEM in rehabilitation, kinesiology, and sport sciences. Surface EMG technology is used in this work as a representative example of similar problems present in movement analysis, exoskeletons, and many other fields. A review of the most relevant articles and international projects in the field of interfacing physical therapy with measurement technology for quantitative assessment of outcome is presented. It is concluded that a new generation of educators is needed as well as a Ph.D. and/or a clinical doctorate degree in physical therapy, still lacking in many countries. It is urgent to consider knowledge translation since it will take many years before any recommended change in teaching will be accepted and show some effect. A call for a "white paper" on rehabilitation metrology is highly auspicable.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Merletti
- LISiN, Department of Electronicsand Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Merletti R, Temporiti F, Gatti R, Gupta S, Sandrini G, Serrao M. Translation of surface electromyography to clinical and motor rehabilitation applications: The need for new clinical figures. Transl Neurosci 2023; 14:20220279. [PMID: 36941919 PMCID: PMC10024349 DOI: 10.1515/tnsci-2022-0279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Advanced sensors/electrodes and signal processing techniques provide powerful tools to analyze surface electromyographic signals (sEMG) and their features, to decompose sEMG into the constituent motor unit action potential trains, and to identify synergies, neural muscle drive, and EEG-sEMG coherence. However, despite thousands of articles, dozens of textbooks, tutorials, consensus papers, and European and International efforts, the translation of this knowledge into clinical activities and assessment procedures has been very slow, likely because of lack of clinical studies and competent operators in the field. Understanding and using sEMG-based hardware and software tools requires a level of knowledge of signal processing and interpretation concepts that is multidisciplinary and is not provided by most academic curricula in physiotherapy, movement sciences, neurophysiology, rehabilitation, sport, and occupational medicine. The chasm existing between the available knowledge and its clinical applications in this field is discussed as well as the need for new clinical figures. The need for updating the training of physiotherapists, neurophysiology technicians, and clinical technologists is discussed as well as the required competences of trainers and trainees. Indications and examples are suggested and provide a basis for addressing the problem. Two teaching examples are provided in the Supplementary Material.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Merletti
- LISiN, Department of Electronics andTelecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, 10138, Italy
| | - Federico Temporiti
- Physiotherapy Unit, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, Rozzano, Milano, 20089, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milano, 20090, Italy
| | - Roberto Gatti
- Physiotherapy Unit, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, Rozzano, Milano, 20089, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milano, 20090, Italy
| | - Sanjeev Gupta
- Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Faridabad, Haryana, 121004, India
| | - Giorgio Sandrini
- Department of Brain and Behavior Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, 27100, Italy
| | - Mariano Serrao
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Latina, 04100, Italy
| |
Collapse
|