Effect of Vibration Stimulation on a Biarticular Muscle for Elbow Joint Motion Change during Elbow/Shoulder Joint Extension Motion: A Study for the Upper-limb Perception-Assist

Abstract

Human motion can be changed from his/her intended motion by giving vibration stimulation on a tendon of an antagonist muscle. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the vibration stimulation on a biarticular muscle for motion change induced by vibration stimulation. In the upper-limb of a human, the biceps brachii works as s biarticular muscle of the shoulder and elbow joint motion. In order to investigate the effect of biarticular muscle for motion change, vibration stimulation was given to the tendon of insertion and/or origin in a biceps brachii during elbow and/or shoulder joint extension motion in a psychophysiological experiment in this study. The experimental results show that the vibration stimulation on the tendon of insertion was the most effective for elbow joint motion change during single elbow joint extension motion and both joints extension motion. In contrast, the vibration stimulation for the tendon of origin had less effect for both elbow and shoulder joint extension motion. The dual vibration stimulation for both tendons did not enhance the amount of elbow and shoulder joint motion change.