Abstract
This study aims to develop maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and submaximal voluntary isometric contraction (subMVIC) methods and to assess the reliability of the developed methods for in-bed healthy individuals and patients with subacute stroke. The electromyography (EMG) activities from the lower-limb muscles including the tensor fascia lata (TFL), rectus femoris (RF), tibialis anterior (TA), and gastrocnemius (GC) on both sides were recorded during MVIC and subMVIC using surface EMG sensors in 20 healthy individuals and 20 subacute stroke patients. In inter-trial reliability, both MVIC and subMVIC methods demonstrated excellent reliability for all the measured muscles at baseline and follow-up evaluations in both healthy individuals and stroke patients. In inter-day reliability, MVIC showed good reliability for the TFL and moderate reliability for the RF, TA, and GC, while subMVIC showed good reliability for the TFL, RF, and GC and poor reliability for the TA in healthy individuals. In conclusion, the MVIC and subMVIC methods of EMG activities were feasible in in-bed healthy individuals and patients with subacute stroke. The results can serve as a basis for the clinical evaluation of muscular activities using quantitative EMG signals on the lower-limb muscles in stroke patients with impaired mobility.