Relation Between EMG Activation Patterns and Kinematic Properties of Aimed Arm Movements

Abstract

Aimed flexion movements of the arm of different amplitude and duration were studied. Velocity and acceleration traces of movements with equal duration but different amplitude were equal, apart from a scaling factor (ratio between movement amplitudes). After appropriate scaling, EMG activity of the first agonist burst for these movements superimposed. This was not true for EMG activity in the antagonist muscle. For movements with equal amplitude, but different duration, the time to peak acceleration was constant for all MT'. Except for this fact, traces of acceleration, velocity, and agonist activity following the time of peak acceleration were about equal after appropriate scaling in time and amplitude. The integral of EMG activity in the first agonist burst increased linearly with peak velocity. For the antagonist burst, the integrated EMG activity increased more than proportionally. During movements made as fast as possible, subjects used a different strategy by varying the duration of the accelerating phase for movements of different amplitude. Movement amplitude was achieved by adjusting the duration of the agonist burst and the onset time for the antagonist muscle. Amplitude of the antagonist burst was constant within a narrow range for movements of different amplitude. These results did not change when the inertial mass was doubled by loading the arm with an additional mass.