Evaluation on the methods to identify muscle fatigue changes after focal cortical ischemia in rats

The extent of the restoration of limb functions after stroke is highly associated with the time of rehabilitation intervention and the corresponding workload prescription. Physical practice of the affected limbs in the relatively early stages after stroke (i.e. acute and subacute stages) could achieve a more significant motor functional recovery than the post-stroke training introduced in the later stage (i.e. chronic stage); However, the recovering brain would face more risks of further damage in response to over-exercise during the early stages than in the chronic period. In this study we have developed a platform to investigate fatigue change after stroke in rat. Results on 10 stroke rats showed decreases in mean power frequency (MPF) after the stroke surgery and larger co-contraction in the EMG signals, which were related to fatigue changes. The understanding on fatigue could help to generate suitable workload prescription for post-stroke rehabilitation, which will lead to an optimal functional and physiological recovery.