Ramp Contractions Research Articles

EMG power spectrum and integrated EMG of ankle plantarflexors during stepwise and ramp contractions.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the median frequencies (MF) of the electromyogram (EMG) and the integrated EMG (IEMG) of histochemically differentiated ankle plantarflexors, the gastrocnemius and soleus, were force dependent. Bipolar intramuscular wire electrodes were used to measure EMG of the soleus (SO), medial head of gastrocnemius (GM), and lateral head of gastrocnemius (GL) during ramp (single ongoing contractions) with the force increasing linearly from 0 to 100% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) and stepwise (steady force levels) ankle plantarflexion at 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, and 80% MVC. EMG and force were measured simultaneously. Power spectral analysis of these signals was performed to calculate MF on 1024-point by fast Fourier transform (FFT) technique. IEMG value of each muscle was also obtained at the same levels of force. While IEMG of three heads of triceps surae in both stepwise and ramp contractions increased significantly with increasing force, MF values of GL during stepwise contraction increased significantly (20, 40, 60, 80% MVC). These results suggest that the sensitivity of EMG power spectrum might be influenced by the proportion of fast twitch muscle fibers, which histochemically corresponds to type II fibers.

Modeling of the H-reflex facilitation during ramp and hold contractions.

Healthy subjects were asked to make a voluntary ramp and hold contraction. The duration of the ramp stage was 500 ms, and the torque increment in this period was set to 15 Nm. The contraction was made from a relaxed and from a 5 Nm background torque situation. Hoffmann (H-) reflexes were elicited during the voluntary contraction, mostly with 100 ms intervals. These experiments showed an increase (facilitation) in the H-reflex before the torque or the EMG started to increase. This facilitation of the H-reflex remained during all the stages of the voluntary movement and declined to normal levels again only at the very end of the hold phase, which lasted for one second. This specific pattern of facilitation during a voluntary contraction was modeled using a modeling language, that is specifically designed to calculate neuronal systems with a high degree of reality (Ekeberg et al., 1991). Our model consisted of a motoneuron pool with 200 neurons connected to an EMG-model of the human soleus muscle and an extra group of higher-level neurons for controlling the amount of decrease of presynaptic inhibition. The model was used to simulate the observed modulation of the H-reflex with both a presynaptic and a postsynaptic mechanism. Simulations showed that a continuous change in the descending control signals is needed to make the model based on postsynaptic mechanism fit with the experimental data, whereas no extra control from the CNS over the excitatory drive to the motoneuron pool is needed when the decrease of presynaptic inhibition mechanism is applied.

Characteristic changes of motor unit activity in hip joint flexor muscles during voluntary isometric contraction during water immersion

The effect of whole body water immersion on the recruitment order of hip flexor motor units was investigated in 11 male subjects. Intramuscular spike potentials were recorded, with fine bipolar wire electrodes, from the iliopsoas, the sartorius, the rectus femoris and the tensor fasciae latae during voluntary isometric contraction while the subjects were standing erect with the hip on the test side flexed to 60 ° and the knee flexed to 120 °. Data were analysed by measuring the recruitment threshold in slow ramp contraction and by a computer-aided amplitude-frequency histogram of the spike potentials during short sustained contraction. The motor units were classified as low-amplitude units if they delivered spike potentials of less than 0.5 mV and high-amplitude units if the spike potentials exceeded 0.5 mV. In the ramp experiments, exposure to water immersion gave rise to a sudden increase in the recruitment thresholds of the low-amplitude units in all muscles, while in the recruitment thresholds of the high-amplitude units, the alterations differed among the muscles. The thresholds in the rectus femoris and tensor fasciae latae increased in the same direction as those of the low-amplitude units, while those in the iliopsoas and sartorius decreased in the opposite direction. The amplitude-frequency histograms clearly indicated that these different alterations occurred in all subjects, without exception. We concluded that unloading induced by water immersion changed the recruitment order of motor units during isometric contraction in the iliopsoas and sartorius, facilitating the recruitment of their larger motor units.

Relative contributions of the long and short heads of the biceps brachii during single or dual isometric tasks

Electromyograms (EMG) of the long head (LH) and the short head (SH) of the biceps brachii were recorded during linearly increasing isometric elbow torques. These ramp contractions concerned flexion or supination of the elbow performed separately (flexion or supination single tasks) and simultaneously (flexion/supination dual tasks). EMG-torque relationships and EMG-EMG relationships were established. The EMG-torque relationships of the SH and LH show a more increased activity in supination than in flexion single task. The highest levels of LH and SH activations were found in the dual tasks. For the majority of subjects, the maximal flexion and supination torques reached in dual tasks were identical to those developed in single tasks. In the single tasks, the LH-SH relative contributions varied from one subject to another as attested by the EMG LH-EMG SH relationships, whereas in dual tasks, the EMG LH-EMG SH relationship was close to the identity line for all subjects, indicating a higher and homogeneous activation of both heads of the biceps. It is concluded that dual tasks are indicated in order to spread the motor unit (MU) recruitment or to activate fully a bifunctional muscle.

Changes in the electromyographic spectrum power distribution caused by a progressive increase in the force level

The purpose of the present study was to determine the specific changes occurring in the power spectrum with an increasing force level during isometric contractions. Surface electromyographic signals of the triceps brachii (TB) and the anconeus (AN) of 29 normal subjects were recorded during isometric ramp contractions performed from 0 to 100% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) in a 5-s period. Power spectra were obtained at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90% MVC. Changes in the shape of these spectra were evaluated visually and with the calculation of several statistical parameters related to the distribution of power along the frequency axis, such as median frequency and mean power frequency, standard deviation, skewness, first and third quartiles and half-power range. For the AN, the behaviour of the spectrum was relatively similar across subjects, presenting a shift toward higher frequencies without any major change in the shape of the spectrum. For the TB, subjects with a thin skinfold thickness presented similar behaviours. In subjects with a thicker skinfold, however, a loss of power in the high frequency region paralleled the increase in the force level. Significant correlations were obtained between the extent of the change in the value of higher order statistical parameters across force and the thickness of the skin. This points out the importance of the skinfold layer when recording with surface electrodes. Furthermore, the use of a combination of several parameters appears to provide a better appreciation of the changes occurring in the spectrum than any single parameter taken alone.

AR modeling of myoelectric interference signals during a ramp contraction.

We investigated the time-varying behaviour of the autoregressive (AR) parameters in a myoelectric (ME) signal detected during a linear force increasing contraction. The AR parameters of interest were the reflection coefficients, the AR model spectrum, and the prediction errors. We used well-conditioned ME signals for which the complete time record of the motor units firings was available. In addition, the influence of the recruitment of a new motor unit, the conduction velocity of action potentials, and additive broad-band noise were investigated using simulated ME signals. The simulated ME signals were constructed from a selected group of the available motor unit action potential trains. The results revealed that, as the contraction progressed, the AR parameters displayed a time-varying behavior which coincided with the recruitment of newly recruited motor units whose spectrum of the waveform differed from that of the rest of the ME signal. This property of the AR parameters was obscured by the presence of broad-band noise and low-amplitude motor unit action potentials, both of which are more pronounced during low-level force contractions.

H-reflex changes during contractions of the ankle extensors in spastic patients

Soleus H-reflexes during tonic contractions and isometric ramp contractions of the ankle extensors in spastic and healthy subjects were measured. During the tonic contractions, the H-reflex increased with the contraction level. The increase was highest in the patients (p < 0.001). The facilitation of the H-reflex during a ramp contraction is due to a static component resulting from the increased excitation level and a dynamic component resulting from the modulation of the H-reflex. The dynamic H-reflex facilitation during the ramp contraction was decreased in the patients (p < 0.05). The findings suggest that there is a decreased H-reflex control in spastic patients and this could be explained by a decreased presynaptic inhibition or by postsynaptic changes.

Detection of EMG onset in ERP research

Many researchers have used off-line techniques for the automatic detection of electromyogram (EMG) onset. However, very little is known about the accuracy of these methods. In the present study, five such methods are evaluated and their accuracy is reported. Five subjects were asked to produce fast (ballistic) and slow (ramp) contractions with thumb and index finger of the right hand in a simple reaction time task. EMG was recorded from the first dorsal interosseus muscle, and onsets were visually determined in the raw EMG. These onsets were compared with the onsets produced by the automated methods on the rectified and low-pass filtered EMG. Four of the automated methods produced very reliable estimates of the visually determined onsets, at least when additional constraints upon the initial estimates were made. Studies using automated methods for EMG onset detection should report findings about their accuracy.

Stationarity of EMG signals obtained across increasing force levels during ramp and step contractions

Stationarity of EMG signals obtained across increasing force levels during ramp and step contractions

The influence of the type of contraction on the masseter muscle EMG power spectrum

Different behaviours of the EMG power spectrum across increasing force levels have been reported for the masseter muscle. A factor that could explain these different behaviours may be the type of contraction used, as was recently shown for certain upper limb muscles 5. The purpose of this study was to compare, between two types of isometric contractions, the behaviour of EMG power spectrum statistics (median frequency (MF) and mean power frequency (MPF)) obtained across increasing force levels. Ten women exerted, while biting in the intercuspal position, three 5 s ramp contractions that increased linearly from 0 to 100% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). They also completed three step contractions (constant EMG amplitude) at each of the following levels: 20, 40, 60 and 80% MVC. EMG signals from the masseter muscle were recorded with miniature surface electrodes. The RMS, as well as the MPF and MF of the power spectrum were calculated at 20, 40, 60 and 80% MVC for each type of contraction. As expected, the RMS values showed similar increases with increasing levels of effort for both types of contractions. Different behaviours for both MPF (contraction ∗force interaction, ANOVA, P<0.05) and MF (contraction ∗force interaction, ANOVA, P>0.05) across increasing levels of effort were found between the two types of contraction. The use of step contractions gave rise to a decrease of both MPF and MF with increasing force, while the use of ramp contractions gave rise to an increase in both statistics up to at least 40% MVC followed by a decrease at higher force levels. These findings suggest that the type of contraction used does influence the behaviour of the spectral statistics across increasing force levels and that this could explain the differences obtained in previous studies for the masseter muscle.

Motor unit recruitment in human medial gastrocnemius muscle during combined knee flexion and plantarflexion isometric contractions

Previous work on multifunctional muscle has suggested that motor unit recruitment during a combined force task is the result of an interactive effect of weighted inputs acting simultaneously on the motoneuron pool. The present study shows that a similar effect describes motor unit activation in a two-joint muscle as forces are combined at both proximal and distal attachments. The recruitment thresholds of single motor units in medial gastrocnemius muscle were determined during combined knee flexion and plantarflexion isometric contractions. Slow isometric ramp contractions in knee flexion were produced while maintaining various background levels of plantarflexion force. The combination of knee flexion and plantarflexion forces at which a motor unit initially discharged was used to characterize recruitment as represented by the slope of the regression line fit to the individual data points. Each subject completed two experiments; one at each of two knee joint angles, with the ankle joint fixed at 90 degrees. The effect of knee angle was assessed by comparing the slopes of the regression lines that characterized motor unit recruitment at each knee angle. Motor units in medial gastrocnemius were recruited when the linear sum of the forces exerted in plantarflexion and knee flexion exceeded a certain threshold of combined force. Specifically, the apparent force threshold of recruitment in knee flexion decreased as the level of force maintained in plantarflexion increased. Further, evidence is provided indicating that the linear relationship describing recruitment in two-joint muscle is dependent upon joint angle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of tonic vibration reflex on motor unit recruitment in human wrist extensor muscles

Tonic vibration reflex was used to investigate the effects of muscle spindle Ia afferent activation on motor unit (MU) recruitment in human wrist extensor muscles. The MU force recruitment threshold recorded in the extensor carpi radialis muscles were quantitatively compared under two experimental situations: (1) during tonic isometric reflex contractions induced by mechanical tendon vibration and during voluntary contractions performed at the same velocity; (2) during two voluntary imposed ramp contractions (0.25 N·s −1) performed the one immediately before, and the other immediately after a tonic vibration reflex. In the first situation, it was observed that the Ia afferents activated by tendon vibration exerted a strong homonymous facilitatory action on their bearing muscles (extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis), while their heteronymous action on the synergistic muscle (extensor carpi ulnaris) was very weak. The MU recruitment thresholds in the extensor carpi radialis muscles were therefore significantly lower during the tonic reflex contraction than during the voluntary contraction. In the second situation, the tonic vibration reflex induced a facilitatory after-effect which decreased the MU recruitment thresholds during the subsequent voluntary imposed ramp contraction. It is suggested that this post-vibratory effect may have been due either to a postsynaptic potentiation of the motoneurones or to a reflex sensitization of the muscle spindles increasing their response to voluntary isometric contraction and consequently, increasing their facilitatory reflex action on the motoneurone pool.

Effect of pronation and supination tasks on elbow flexor muscles

The aim of this study was to verify the presence of modulatory effects of pronation (P) and supination (S) on biceps brachii (BB) and brachioradialis (BR) electromyographic (EMG) signals while performing isometric elbow flexions at different angles (50, 90, and 130°). The EMG activity of BB and BR was recorded for normal subjects ( N = 6) with surface electrodes during an isometric ramp contraction of elbow flexion (F) that was combined with 20% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) in pronation or in supination. The results indicate that (a) the BB muscle presents an increased EMG activity in the combined task of S-F and a decreased EMG activity in the combined task of P-F (Friedman ANOVA, p < 0.01); (b) the EMG activity of the BR is not significantly influenced by the different tasks (Friedman's ANOVA, p > 0.05); and (c) the modulation of the BB occurs only at a midrange angle of flexion. This study partly supports results that were previously reported by other authors, suggesting that a combined task can modulate the EMG activity of elbow flexor muscles. However, this modulation, observed especially for the BB, appears to be limited to elbow flexion angles that are close to 90°.

Surface electromyogram spectral characterization and motor unit activity during voluntary ramp contraction in men

The relationships were investigated between the surface electromyographic (SEMG) power spectrum analysed by the 20 order autoregressive model (AR spectrum) and underlying motor unit (MU) activity during isometric contractions increasing linearly from 0% to 80% maximal voluntary contraction. Intramuscular spikes and SEMG signals were recorded simultaneously from biceps brachii muscle; the former were analysed by a computer-aided intramuscular MU spike amplitude-frequency (ISAF) histogram and the latter subjected to AR spectral analysis. Results indicated that there was a positive correlation between the force output and the mean amplitude of the ISAF histogram but not with the mean frequency. These changes were accompanied by changes in relative power of the high frequency (100-200 Hz) peak (HL) in the AR spectrum. It was also found that there was a positive correlation between the mean amplitude of the ISAF histogram and the HL value. These data suggested that the power of the high frequency peak in the AR spectrum of the SEMG signal preferentially reflected the progressive recruitment of underlying MU according to their size. Differences between the AR spectrum and the spectrum estimated by fast Fourier transform algorithm have also been discussed.

Decline in spindle support to alpha‐motoneurones during sustained voluntary contractions.

1. To address whether the muscle spindle support to alpha-motoneurones is maintained during prolonged isometric voluntary contractions, the discharge of eighteen muscle spindle afferents, originating in the dorsiflexors of the ankle or toes, was recorded from the common peroneal nerve in eight subjects. Isometric contractions were generally sustained for 1 min, usually below 30% of the maximal voluntary dorsiflexion force. 2. Once the afferent had been identified, subjects were instructed to dorsiflex the foot slowly to recruit the spindle ending, to continue the ramp contraction until a predetermined target force was reached, and then to hold that force until requested to relax. 3. Five muscle spindle afferents maintained a constant discharge frequency during the hold phase of the isometric contraction. Following relaxation of the contraction two spindle afferents from tibialis anterior, exhibited a post-contraction discharge despite the absence of detectable electromyographic activity (EMG). 4. The discharge frequency of most of the spindle afferents (72%) declined progressively during the isometric contraction. The mean firing rates had declined to two-thirds of those at the onset of the contraction by 30 s, and to half after 1 min. The decline in spindle firing rate commenced during the ramp phase of the contraction and was statistically significant by 10 s, when force was held constant. The extent of the decline was greater for those units with the higher initial firing rates and for those units studied after many preceding contractions. 5. In the same contractions a progressive increase in EMG was required to maintain force and consequently the change in EMG was inversely related to the change in spindle discharge. While many mechanisms may contribute to the decline in spindle discharge during a sustained isometric contraction, it is argued that the result will be a progressive disfacilitation of alpha-motoneurones, which may contribute to the decline in motor unit firing rates during a sustained contraction.

The effect of muscle length on motor unit discharge characteristics in human tibialis anterior muscle

Muscle length influences the contractile properties of muscle in that when muscle is lengthened the relaxation phase of the muscle twitch is prolonged and when muscle is shortened, the relaxation phase is shorter in duration. As a result, the force exerted by active motor units varies with muscle length during voluntary contractions. To determine if motoneuron spike trains were adjusted to accommodate for changes in the contractile properties imposed by shortened and lengthened muscle, motor unit action potentials were recorded from the tibialis anterior muscle at different muscle lengths. Twenty subjects performed isometric ramp contractions at ankle angles of 20 degrees dorsiflexion, neutral between dorsiflexion and plantar flexion, and 30 degrees plantar flexion, which put the tibialis anterior muscle in a shortened, neutral, or lengthened condition, respectively. During isometric contractions where torque increased at 5% MVC/s, motor unit discharge rate at recruitment was greater in shortened muscle than in lengthened muscle (P less than 0.05). Brief initial interspike intervals (less than 40 ms) occurred more frequently in shortened muscle than in either neutral length or lengthened muscle. During steady contractions, motor unit discharge rate was greater per unit torque (N.m) in shortened muscle than in neutral length or lengthened muscle (P less than 0.05). These findings indicate that muscle length does influence the discharge pattern of motor unit spike trains during isometric ramp contractions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

EMG power spectra of elbow extensors during ramp and step isometric contractions

The goal of the present study was to compare electromyogram (EMG) power spectra obtained from step (constant force level) and ramp (progressive increase in the force level) isometric contractions. Data windows of different durations were also analysed for the step contractions, in order to evaluate the stability of EMG power spectrum statistics. Fourteen normal subjects performed (1) five ramp elbow extensions ranging from 0 to 100% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) and (2) three stepwise elbow extensions maintained at five different levels of MVC. Spectral analysis of surface EMG signals obtained from triceps brachii and anconeus was performed. The mean power frequency (MPF) and the median frequency (MF) of each power spectrum were obtained from 256-ms windows taken at 10, 20, 40, 60 and 80% MVC for each type of contraction and in addition on 512-, 1024- and 2048-ms windows for the step contractions. No significant differences (P greater than 0.05) were found in the values of both spectral statistics between the different window lengths. Even though no significant differences (P greater than 0.05) were found between the ramp and the step contractions, significant interactions (P less than 0.05) between these two types of contraction and the force level were found for both the MPF and the MF data. These interactions point out the existence of different behaviours for both the MPF and the MF across force levels between the two types of contraction.

Electromyographic activity in the shoulder-neck region according to arm position and glenohumeral torque

The electromyographical (EMG) response to isometric ramp contractions of the right arm, the left arm, and both arms was studied using four pairs of surface electrodes above the right upper trapezius muscle (UT) of six men and six women. Contractions were made against gravity with the active arm(s) in eight positions, ranging from flexion to abduction. To describe arm positions, new, simple terminology was developed. Root mean square (rms)-converted EMG-signals were normalized (EMGnorm) with respect to a reference contraction. The EMGnorm corresponding to a 15 N.m torque in the right glenohumeral (GH) joint was strongly related to the position of the right arm (P less than 0.001). The shape of this relationship depended on the electrode position (P less than 0.001). The ratio between EMGnorm at 30 N.m and 15 N.m GH torques was related to arm position (P less than 0.001) and differed between electrodes (P less than 0.001). A left-side GH torque resulted in right-side (contralateral) EMG activity, typically corresponding to 20%-30% of that obtained during similar right-side GH torque. Bilateral GH torque implied 0%-50% increase in EMG activity as compared to that obtained with the right arm alone. The results have shown that signals from one pair of surface electrodes above UT cannot be taken as representative of the EMG activity from electrodes located elsewhere above UT. The EMG recordings reflected a complex pattern of muscular activation, significantly related to both outwardly visible factors (arm position, GH torque), and within-body servosystems (motor control reflexes).

Physiological properties of the motor units of the wrist extensor muscles in man.

The physiological properties of 355 motor units (MUs) recorded in the extensor carpi radialis muscles were studied in 34 healthy human subjects during isometric contractions. MU selective twitches were educed from the whole muscle force using the spike-triggered averaging method. The twitch contraction times and twitch forces were measured. From these data it was attempted to estimate the distribution of fast and slow MUs in the muscles studied. Mu recruitment thresholds were systematically measured during stereotyped slow ramp contractions (force increase = 0.25 N. s-1). Degrees of correlation between contraction times, twitch forces and recruitment thresholds were pair analysed by computing simple regression curves and correlation coefficients. The degrees of correlation were compared between 245 Mus recorded in 34 subjects and 66 MUs recorded in a single subject. Analysis of the instantaneous discharge frequency of 132 MUs showed the existence of a remarkable degree of correlation (correlation coefficient, r = -0.75) between the "frequency rise times" (discharge onset to maximal frequency) and the MU twitch contraction times; i.e., the "frequency rise times" increase when the twitch contraction time decrease. The possibility that muscle contraction may be differentially modulated on the basis of this discharge property of the M Us is discussed. The results are compared to previous data and the limitations of the spike-triggered averaging method applied to long muscles in man are extensively discussed.

An analysis of frequency response of motor units during voluntary isometric contractions at various speeds

To ascertain the differences in discharge properties of a hand muscle between ramp and ballistic contractions, firing frequencies of 48 motor units of adductor pollicis muscle were analyzed during 3-kg isometric voluntary contractions at various force speeds. The force exertions were classified into 3 degrees: slow ramp, fast ramp, and ballistic contractions. The instantaneous frequencies (IFs) of motor units increased gradually when the force exertions were progressed to the target in slow and fast ramp contractions. The slopes of the linear regression equations between IFs and force levels were almost all constant during slow ramp contractions and were scattered slightly during fast ramp contractions. However, the slopes during ballistic contractions scattered widely. The y-intercepts of the same regression lines increased slightly with respect to the increment of force speed when slow and fast ramp contractions were performed. However, a remarkably wide variation of the y-intercepts was observed during ballistic contractions. Motor units could be fired at high frequencies at the beginning of discharge when ballistic contraction were performed as compared with slow and fast ramp contractions.