An investigation of the inhibition of voluntary EMG activity by electrical stimulation of the same muscle

In Britain each year there are approximately 100,000 people who suffer their first ever stroke of which approximately two thirds will survive. Of all acute stroke patients starting rehabilitation, about half will have a marked impairment of function of one arm and only about 14 % of these will regain useful function. A significant problem is spasticity, typically causing over-activity in the flexor muscle groups in the upper limb. While often some ability to make a voluntary grip remains, the ability to selectively activate extensor muscles to enable release of a grasp is frequently lost.