scholarly journals Embouchure Muscle Activity in Student and Elite Trumpeters

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-53
Author(s):  
Alan HD Watson ◽  
Kevin Price

AIMS: Objective information on embouchure muscle use in brass players is currently limited. This pilot study records and analyses embouchure muscle activity in trumpet players to identify typical patterns and to reveal how these can differ between playing tasks. METHODS: Activity in four embouchure muscles was recorded using surface electromyography in 7 conservatoire trumpet students and 3 elite professional trumpeters. Each played a set of simple exercises, tongued and slurred, including single notes of different pitch, upward and downward transitions between notes a fifth apart, arpeggios, and a short musical piece. RESULTS: Muscle activity was initiated 0.4–2.0 s before the beginning of a note. In some players this was at a higher level than needed to sustain the note, while in others it was not. Levels of activity in all muscles generally increased and decreased together during arpeggios, in line with changing pitch. The sound was terminated by an abrupt fall in muscle activity. In many players, transitions between notes a fifth apart required no change in muscle activity, though in others this was marked by a sharp increase or decrease. CONCLUSION: Though levels of muscle activity rose consistently over large pitch ranges, there was considerable variation in the degree to which this occurred over smaller intervals. Even among the 3 professional players, the embouchure muscle activity showed clear individual patterns, suggesting that high levels of performance can be achieved in different ways. Further investigations will be needed to clarify how embouchure activity changes with proficiency.

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salsabeel Abu Serdaneh ◽  
Manal AlHalabi ◽  
Mawlood Kowash ◽  
Vaughan Macefield ◽  
Ammar H. Khamis ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Inri de Carvalho ◽  
Marina Gatti ◽  
Renata Ligia Vieira Guedes ◽  
Renata Camilla Favarin Froes ◽  
Danila Rodrigues Costa ◽  
...  

AbstractDetermine the relationship between swallowing function, nutritional status, and salivary flow in patients after head and neck cancer treatment. This pilot study included 17 patients. Swallowing was assessed through videofluoroscopy and surface electromyography (sEMG), nutritional status through anthropometry and dietary assessment, and salivary flow both with and without mechanical stimulation. Test analysis showed that 66.7% of patients had functional limitations in swallowing in 58.3%, 66.7%, and 58.3% residue scale with an average of a line of barium on a structure for pudding, honey, and liquid consistencies, respectively. Laryngeal penetration was found in 8.3% during the swallowing of liquid. Surface electromyography (sEMG) showed above normal values for muscle activity time during the swallowing of pudding. Anthropometric assessment and muscle and adipose tissue indicated eutrophy. Salivary flow test with mechanical stimulus showed that 82.3% of patients' salivary production was well below the appropriate level. There was a significant correlation between muscle tissue reserve and muscle activity time during swallowing in the studied muscles (left masseter p = 0.003, right masseter p = 0.001, suprahyoid p = 0.001, orbicularis oris = 0.020), all in pudding consistency. This pilot study confirmed the relationship between swallowing and nutritional status for its participants, showing that appropriate protein intake influences muscle activity during swallowing in head and neck cancer survivors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Heather A. Feldner ◽  
Christina Papazian ◽  
Keshia M. Peters ◽  
Claire J. Creutzfeldt ◽  
Katherine M. Steele

Arm recovery varies greatly among stroke survivors. Wearable surface electromyography (sEMG) sensors have been used to track recovery in research; however, sEMG is rarely used within acute and subacute clinical settings. The purpose of this case study was to describe the use of wireless sEMG sensors to examine changes in muscle activity during acute and subacute phases of stroke recovery, and understand the participant’s perceptions of sEMG monitoring. Beginning three days post-stroke, one stroke survivor wore five wireless sEMG sensors on his involved arm for three to four hours, every one to three days. Muscle activity was tracked during routine care in the acute setting through discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. Three- and eight-month follow-up sessions were completed in the community. Activity logs were completed each session, and a semi-structured interview occurred at the final session. The longitudinal monitoring of muscle and movement recovery in the clinic and community was feasible using sEMG sensors. The participant and medical team felt monitoring was unobtrusive, interesting, and motivating for recovery, but desired greater in-session feedback to inform rehabilitation. While barriers in equipment and signal quality still exist, capitalizing on wearable sensing technology in the clinic holds promise for enabling personalized stroke recovery.


2014 ◽  
Vol 564 ◽  
pp. 644-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Halim Isa ◽  
Rawaida ◽  
Seri Rahayu Kamat ◽  
A. Rohana ◽  
Adi Saptari ◽  
...  

In industries, manual lifting is commonly practiced even though mechanized material handling equipment are provided. Manual lifting is used to transport or move products and goods to a desired place.Improper lifting techniquescontribute to muscle fatigue and low back pain that can lead to work efficiency and low productivity.The objective of this study were to analyze muscle activity in the left and right Erector Spinae, and left and right Biceps Brachii of five female subjects while performing manual lifting taskwithdifferent load mass, lifting height and twist angle.The muscle activitywere measured and analyzed using surface electromyography (sEMG).This study found that the right Biceps Brachii, right and left Erector Spinae experienced fatigue while performingasymmetric lifting (twist angle = 90°) at lifting height of 75 cm and 140 cm with load mass of 5 kg and 10 kg. Meanwhile, the left Biceps Brachii experienced fatigue when the lifting task was set at lifting height of 75 cm, load mass of 5 kg and twist angle of 90°.The load mass and lifting height has a significant influence to Mean Power Frequency (MPF) for left Biceps Brachii, left and right Erector Spinae. This study concluded that reducing the load mass can increase the muscles performance which can extend the transition-to-fatigue stage in the left and right Biceps Brachii and Erector Spinae.


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