Median frequency of the myoelectric signal

1984 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Merletti ◽  
Mohamed A. Sabbahi ◽  
Carlo J. De Luca
1986 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 1510-1517 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. H. Roy ◽  
C. J. De Luca ◽  
J. Schneider

The effect of surface electrode location on the estimates of the median frequency and conduction velocity of the myoelectric signal was investigated. The locations were identified with respect to the innervation zone and the tendonous portion of the tibialis anterior muscle. Considerable modifications in the median frequency and conduction velocity parameters were noted. The highest values of the median frequency occurred at the region of the innervation zone and tendonous insertion of the muscle, and decreased proportionally with distance from these areas. The rate of change of median frequency was not effected by electrode location. Estimates of conduction velocity were most stable in a region between the distal tendon and the adjacent innervation zone. This region also provided the best linear fit when comparing conduction velocity to median frequency estimates. The implications for signal detection procedures are discussed.


1986 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 457-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo J. De Luca ◽  
Mohamed A. Sabbahi ◽  
Serge H. Roy

1990 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1810-1820 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Merletti ◽  
M. Knaflitz ◽  
C. J. De Luca

The time course of muscle fiber conduction velocity and surface myoelectric signal spectral (mean and median frequency of the power spectrum) and amplitude (average rectified and root-mean-square value) parameters was studied in 20 experiments on the tibialis anterior muscle of 10 healthy human subjects during sustained isometric voluntary or electrically elicited contractions. Voluntary contractions at 20% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and at 80% MVC with duration of 20 s were performed at the beginning of each experiment. Tetanic electrical stimulation was then applied to the main muscle motor point for 20 s with surface electrodes at five stimulation frequencies (20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 Hz). All subjects showed myoelectric manifestations of muscle fatigue consisting of negative trends of spectral variables and conduction velocity and positive trends of amplitude variables. The main findings of this work are 1) myoelectric signal variables obtained from electrically elicited contractions show fluctuations smaller than those observed in voluntary contractions, 2) spectral variables are more sensitive to fatigue than conduction velocity and the average rectified value is more sensitive to fatigue than the root-mean-square value, 3) conduction velocity is not the only physiological factor affecting spectral variables, and 4) contractions elicited at supramaximal stimulation and frequencies greater than 30 Hz demonstrate myoelectric manifestations of muscle fatigue greater than those observed at 80% MVC sustained for the same time.


1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 1878-1885 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. R. Brody ◽  
M. T. Pollock ◽  
S. H. Roy ◽  
C. J. De Luca ◽  
B. Celli

H+ accumulation at the sarcolemma is believed to play a key role in determining the electrophysiological correlates of fatigue. This paper describes an in vitro method to externally manipulate muscle pH while measuring the resultant effect on surface-detected median frequency (MDF) and conduction velocity (CV) parameters. Hamster muscle diaphragm strips (n = 8) were isolated with the phrenic nerve intact and placed in an oxygenated Krebs bath (26 degrees C). The muscle was clamped to a noncompliant load cell to measure isometric contractile tension. Tetanic contraction was developed via 40-Hz supermaximal stimulation of the phrenic nerve. Differential signals were recorded from three electromyogram (EMG) detection surfaces for computation of CV (via the phase shift in the EMG signals) and MDF. Repeated trials were conducted at bath pHs of 7.4, 7.0, and 6.6. Bath pH was altered by aerating predetermined concentrations of O2 and CO2 into the bath. Decreases in bath pH resulted in decreases in both initial MDF and initial CV. The differences in initial MDF and initial CV were significant (P less than 0.001) for each of the bath pH conditions. In general, the change in bath pH resulted in an equal percent change in initial MDF and initial CV. This suggests that the change in bath pH caused a decrease in CV without significantly altering the fundamental shape of the M wave. In contrast, the EMG was altered differently during stimulated contractions. During stimulation, the rate of decay of CV was 65% of the rate of decay of MDF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Sarmento ◽  
Guilherme Fregonezi ◽  
Maria Lira ◽  
Layana Marques ◽  
Francesca Pennati ◽  
...  

AbstractMuscle fatigue is a complex phenomenon enclosing various mechanisms. Despite technological advances, these mechanisms are still not fully understood in vivo. Here, simultaneous measurements of pressure, volume, and ribcage inspiratory muscle activity were performed non-invasively during fatigue (inspiratory threshold valve set at 70% of maximal inspiratory pressure) and recovery to verify if inspiratory ribcage muscle fatigue (1) leads to slowing of contraction and relaxation properties of ribcage muscles and (2) alters median frequency and high-to-low frequency ratio (H/L). During the fatigue protocol, sternocleidomastoid showed the fastest decrease in median frequency and slowest decrease in H/L. Fatigue was also characterized by a reduction in the relative power of the high-frequency and increase of the low-frequency. During recovery, changes in mechanical power were due to changes in shortening velocity with long-lasting reduction in pressure generation, and slowing of relaxation [i.e., tau (τ), half-relaxation time (½RT), and maximum relaxation rate (MRR)] was observed with no significant changes in contractile properties. Recovery of median frequency was faster than H/L, and relaxation rates correlated with shortening velocity and mechanical power of inspiratory ribcage muscles; however, with different time courses. Time constant of the inspiratory ribcage muscles during fatigue and recovery is not uniform (i.e., different inspiratory muscles may have different underlying mechanisms of fatigue), and MRR, ½RT, and τ are not only useful predictors of inspiratory ribcage muscle recovery but may also share common underlying mechanisms with shortening velocity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Etienne Goubault ◽  
Felipe Verdugo ◽  
Justine Pelletier ◽  
Caroline Traube ◽  
Mickaël Begon ◽  
...  

AbstractMuscle fatigue is considered as a risk factor for developing playing-related muscular disorders among professional pianists and could affect musical performance. This study investigated in 50 pianists the effect of fatiguing repetitive piano sequences on the development of forearm muscle fatigue and on piano performance parameters. Results showed signs of myoelectric manifestation of fatigue in the 42-electromyographic bipolar electrodes positioned on the forearm to record finger and wrist flexor and extensor muscles, through a significant non-constant decrease of instantaneous median frequency during two repetitive Digital (right-hand 16-tones sequence) and Chord (right-hand chords sequence) excerpts, with extensor muscles showing greater signs of fatigue than flexor muscles. In addition, muscle fatigue negatively affected key velocity, a central feature of piano sound intensity, in both Digital and Chord excerpts, and note-events, a fundamental aspect of musicians’ performance parameter, in the Chord excerpt only. This result highlights that muscle fatigue may alter differently pianists’ musical performance according to the characteristics of the piece played.


2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-56
Author(s):  
Danuta Roman-Liu ◽  
Krzysztof Kȩdzior

The aim of this study was to compare the influence of constant or intermittent load on muscle activation and fatigue. The analysis and assessment of muscular activation and fatigue was based on surface EMG measurements from eight muscles (seven muscles of the right upper limb and trapezius muscle). Two EMG signal parameters were analyzed for each of the experimental conditions distinguished by the value of the external force and the character of the load – constant or intermittent. The amplitude related to its maximum (AMP) and the slope of the regression line between time and median frequency (SMF) were the EMG parameters that were analyzed. The results showed that constant load caused higher muscular fatigue than intermittent load despite the lower value of the external force and lower muscle activation. Results suggest that additional external force might influence muscle activation and fatigue more than upper limb posture. The results of the study support the thesis that all biomechanical factors which influence upper limb load and fatigue (upper limb posture, external force and time sequences) should be considered when work stands and work processes are designed. They also indicate that constant load should be especially avoided.


Author(s):  
Michel Marina ◽  
Priscila Torrado ◽  
Raul Bescós

Despite a reduction in the maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVCisom) observed systematically in intermittent fatigue protocols (IFP), decrements of the median frequency, assessed by surface electromyography (sEMG), has not been consistently verified. This study aimed to determine whether recovery periods of 60 s were too long to induce a reduction in the normalized median frequency (MFEMG) of the flexor digitorum superficialis and carpi radialis muscles. Twenty-one road racing motorcycle riders performed an IFP that simulated the posture and braking gesture on a motorcycle. The MVCisom was reduced by 53% (p < 0.001). A positive and significant relationship (p < 0.005) was found between MFEMG and duration of the fatiguing task when 5 s contractions at 30% MVCisom were interspersed by 5 s recovery in both muscles. In contrast, no relationship was found (p > 0.133) when 10 s contractions at 50% MVC were interspersed by 1 min recovery. Comparative analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed a decrement of MFEMG in the IFP at 30% MVCisom including short recovery periods with a duty cycle of 100% (5 s/5 s = 1), whereas no differences were observed in the IFP at 50% MVCisom and longer recovery periods, with a duty cycle of 16%. These findings show that recovery periods during IFP are more relevant than the intensity of MVCisom. Thus, we recommend the use of short recovery periods between 5 and 10 s after submaximal muscle contractions for specific forearm muscle training and testing purposes in motorcycle riders.


2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 372-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
O Fernández ◽  
V Fernández ◽  
M Guerrero ◽  
A León ◽  
JC López-Madrona ◽  
...  

Background: Although not definitively proven, there is commonly accepted to be a latitudinal gradient in the distribution of multiple sclerosis (MS), which is more frequent in temperate zones. The European Mediterranean countries are situated in a zone of median frequency, although ever increasing figures have been noted in the last decades. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the current prevalence rate of MS in the province of Malaga, Southern Spain. Methods: The capture–recapture method (CRM) uses independent sources of data and permits the number of non-registered cases of a given disease to be estimated, and by doing so, to avoid ascertainment bias. Results: Use of this method showed the estimated prevalence rate of MS in the province of Malaga, Southern Spain, to be 125/105 (95% confidence interval: 102/105–169/105), higher than the figures published previously. Conclusions: Although we recognize that these data need to be confirmed in further studies and in other areas of the country using a similar method, we believe this study is the first to find such high figure of prevalence, being very similar to the figures reported in recent years in other southern European countries.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document