We are pleased to announce that our work has been accepted for presentation at the 10th Graz Brain-Computer Interface Conference 2026, an international conference dedicated to advances in brain–computer interfaces and neurotechnology.

HD-EMG-Based BCI for Control and Assessment in Post-Stroke Hand Paresis: A Proof of Concept

Paper ID: 95
Contribution Type: Poster Presentation
Dates: 17th September 2026, 10:30

Authors: Gian Maria Velardi*, Thien N. Le*, Andrea Cimolato, Bernhard Fasching, Wolfgang Serles, Stanisa Raspopovic
*Equal contribution

Recovering hand function after stroke remains a major challenge, particularly when reduced motor endurance makes conventional BCI calibration difficult. In this work, we present an HD-EMG-based BCI approach that extracts the activity of individual motor units using multiple brief contractions instead of requiring a prolonged sustained contraction.

The proposed approach preserved the number of physiologically validated motor units while reducing spurious detections. Using selectively recruited motor units, the system could distinguish different hand movements, demonstrating the potential of HD-EMG for motor-intention decoding and external device control. Importantly, the analysis also identified surface-detected satellite potentials that may provide a non-invasive biomarker of corticospinal reorganization after stroke.

This proof-of-concept highlights the potential of HD-EMG to serve a dual role in post-stroke rehabilitation: enabling motor-unit-driven BCI control while providing physiological information that could help monitor recovery over time.

We look forward to Gian Maria presenting our work at the 10th Graz BCI Conference and discussing how HD-EMG-based interfaces could contribute to future neurorehabilitation technologies!