Non-Propagating Components of Surface Electromyogram Reflect Motor Unit Firing Rates

Interference surface electromyogram (EMG) recorded from linear electrode arrays aligned to muscle fibres can be separated into propagating and non-propagating contributions. The first reflects the propagation of action potentials along muscle fibres. The non-propagating components are here shown to...

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Main Author: Luca Mesin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2019-01-01
Series:IEEE Access
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8778632/
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spelling doaj-9727f2359b1346679d54f79ab24754552021-04-05T17:04:44ZengIEEEIEEE Access2169-35362019-01-01710615510616110.1109/ACCESS.2019.29316098778632Non-Propagating Components of Surface Electromyogram Reflect Motor Unit Firing RatesLuca Mesin0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8239-2348Dipartimento di Elettronica e Telecomunicazioni, Mathematical Biology and Physiology, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, ItalyInterference surface electromyogram (EMG) recorded from linear electrode arrays aligned to muscle fibres can be separated into propagating and non-propagating contributions. The first reflects the propagation of action potentials along muscle fibres. The non-propagating components are here shown to be related to the overall firing pattern of active motor units (MU). Indeed, in simulations, the power spectral density (PSD) of non-propagating components shows a low frequency peak corresponding to the mean firing rate, even when such a contribution is not visible in the PSD of the EMG (either monopolar or single differential configuration, either rectified or not). Moreover, it has a high correlation with the PSD of the cumulative firings of the MUs in the detection volume of the recording system. Applications to experimental data confirm that the low frequency peak is more evident for the non-propagating components than for the raw signals and is related to the MU firing frequency. Potential future applications are expected in the study of the MU control in different conditions (e.g., training, fatigue or pathology, inducing changes, or modulation of firing rate) and in the investigation of common synaptic inputs to motor neurons.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8778632/End-of-fibre effectmotor unit firing ratenon-propagating componentssurface EMG
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Luca Mesin
spellingShingle Luca Mesin
Non-Propagating Components of Surface Electromyogram Reflect Motor Unit Firing Rates
IEEE Access
End-of-fibre effect
motor unit firing rate
non-propagating components
surface EMG
author_facet Luca Mesin
author_sort Luca Mesin
title Non-Propagating Components of Surface Electromyogram Reflect Motor Unit Firing Rates
title_short Non-Propagating Components of Surface Electromyogram Reflect Motor Unit Firing Rates
title_full Non-Propagating Components of Surface Electromyogram Reflect Motor Unit Firing Rates
title_fullStr Non-Propagating Components of Surface Electromyogram Reflect Motor Unit Firing Rates
title_full_unstemmed Non-Propagating Components of Surface Electromyogram Reflect Motor Unit Firing Rates
title_sort non-propagating components of surface electromyogram reflect motor unit firing rates
publisher IEEE
series IEEE Access
issn 2169-3536
publishDate 2019-01-01
description Interference surface electromyogram (EMG) recorded from linear electrode arrays aligned to muscle fibres can be separated into propagating and non-propagating contributions. The first reflects the propagation of action potentials along muscle fibres. The non-propagating components are here shown to be related to the overall firing pattern of active motor units (MU). Indeed, in simulations, the power spectral density (PSD) of non-propagating components shows a low frequency peak corresponding to the mean firing rate, even when such a contribution is not visible in the PSD of the EMG (either monopolar or single differential configuration, either rectified or not). Moreover, it has a high correlation with the PSD of the cumulative firings of the MUs in the detection volume of the recording system. Applications to experimental data confirm that the low frequency peak is more evident for the non-propagating components than for the raw signals and is related to the MU firing frequency. Potential future applications are expected in the study of the MU control in different conditions (e.g., training, fatigue or pathology, inducing changes, or modulation of firing rate) and in the investigation of common synaptic inputs to motor neurons.
topic End-of-fibre effect
motor unit firing rate
non-propagating components
surface EMG
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8778632/
work_keys_str_mv AT lucamesin nonpropagatingcomponentsofsurfaceelectromyogramreflectmotorunitfiringrates
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