Abstract
Driving is indispensable for the social participation of handicapped people, but poor pedal operation may lead to accidents. In hemiplegic patients with a history of stroke, brake pedal operation is performed on the affected or unaffected lower limbs, but it is important to verify its safety. A 57-year old man with right hemiplegia 21 months after cerebral hemorrhage was evaluated for kinematics and muscle activity during changing pedals. His data was collected and compared with data from three controls. The reaction time of the left lower limb was faster than that of the right lower limb, but was similar to that of healthy subjects. The rate of simultaneous contraction of tibialis anterior and soleus muscles during releasing a foot from the accelerator pedal was greater in both lower limbs than in healthy subjects. It should be noted that in patients with a history of stroke, the tibialis anterior and soleus muscles are simultaneously contracted, not only in the lower limb of the affected side, but also in the lower limb of the healthy side. This may cause incorrect pedal operation.
