A Novel Estimating Method for Steering Efficiency of the Driver with Electromyography Signals

The existing research of steering efficiency mainly focuses on the mechanism efficiency of steering system, aiming at designing and optimizing the mechanism of steering system. In the development of assist steering system especially the evaluation of its comfort, the steering efficiency of driver physiological output usually are not considered, because this physiological output is difficult to measure or to estimate, and the objective evaluation of steering comfort therefore cannot be conducted with movement efficiency perspective. In order to take a further step to the objective evaluation of steering comfort, an estimating method for the steering efficiency of the driver was developed based on the research of the relationship between the steering force and muscle activity. First, the steering forces in the steering wheel plane and the electromyography （EMG） signals of the primary muscles were measured. These primary muscles are the muscles in shoulder and upper ann which mainly produced the steering torque, and their functions in steering maneuver were identified previously. Next, based on the multiple regressions of the steering force and EMG signals, both the effective steering force and the total force capacity of driver in steering maneuver were calculated. Finally, the steering efficiency of driver was estimated by means of the estimated effective force and the total force capacity, which represented the information of driver physiological output of the primary muscles. This research develops a novel estimating method for driver steering efficiency of driver physiological output, including the estimation of both steering force and the force capacity of primary muscles with EMG signals, and will benefit to evaluate the steering comfort with an objective perspective.

Electromyography and Fos immunostaining study establish a possible functional link between trigeminal proprioception and the oculomotor system in rats

The objective of this study was to explore whether there was a functional link between trigeminal proprioception and the oculomotor system mediated through jaw muscle afferents.Electromyography（EMG） was undertaken of the levator palpebrae（LP） and superior rectus（SR）,and Fos expression was detected in the brainstem following consecutive down-stretching of the lower jaw at 2-4 Hz in rats.Retrograde tracing was undertaken of the interstitial nucleus of Cajal and Darkschewitsch nucleus（INC/DN） pre-oculomotor neurons.FMG-like responses were recorded from the LP/SR during down-stretching of the lower jaw at 2-4 Hz in 3 out of 11 rats.Fos expression was induced by consecutive down-stretching of the lower jaw at 2-4 Hz for 20-30 seconds.Interestingly,Fos expression was distributed mainly in the bilateral INC/DN area.We also examined Fos-like immunoreactivity in central mesencephalic and paramedian pontine reticular formation that harbors premotor neurons controlling horizontal eye movement,but no Fos-like staining was observed therein.By injection of retrograde tracers into the oculomotor nucleus combined with Fos immunostaining,double labeled pre-oculomotor neurons were visualized to distribute in the INC/DN.In conclusions,there may exist a trigeminal proprioceptive-oculomotor system neural circuit through jaw muscle afferents in rats.Judging from Fos distribution pattern,this pathway might be related to vertical and torsional eye movements.

Multi-channel electromyography pattern classification using deep belief networks for enhanced user experience

An enhanced algorithm is proposed to recognize multi-channel electromyography(EMG) patterns using deep belief networks(DBNs). It is difficult to classify the EMG features because an EMG signal has nonlinear and time-varying characteristics.Therefore, in several previous studies, various machine-learning methods have been applied. A DBN is a fast, greedy learning algorithm that can find a fairly good set of weights rapidly, even in deep networks with a large number of parameters and many hidden layers. To evaluate this model, we acquired EMG signals, extracted their features, and then compared the model with the DBN and other conventional classifiers. The accuracy of the DBN is higher than that of the other algorithms. The classification performance of the DBN model designed is approximately 88.60%. It is 7.55%(p=9.82×10-12) higher than linear discriminant analysis(LDA) and 2.89%(p=1.94×10-5) higher than support vector machine(SVM). Further, the DBN is better than shallow learning algorithms or back propagation(BP), and this model is effective for an EMG-based user-interfaced system.

Surface electromyography for diagnosing dysphagia in patients with cerebral palsy

AIM: To determine the accuracy of 2-channel surface electromyography(sE MG) for diagnosing oropharyngeal dysphagia(OPD) in patients with cerebral palsy.METHODS: Participants with cerebral palsy and OPD between 5 and 30 years of age and age- and sexmatched healthy individuals received s EMG testing during swallowing. Electrodes were placed over the submental and infrahyoid muscles, and s EMG recordings were made during stepwise(starting at 3 mL) determination of maximum swallowing volume. Outcome measures included submental muscle group maximum amplitude, infrahyoid muscle group maximum amplitude(IMGMA), time lag between the peak amplitudes of 2 muscle groups, and amplitude difference between the 2 muscle groups.RESULTS: A total of 20 participants with cerebral palsy and OPD(OPD group) and 60 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers(control group) were recruited. Among 20 patients with OPD, 19 had Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale records. Of them, 8 were classified as severe dysphagia(level 1), 1 was moderate dysphagia(level 3), 4 were mild to moderate dysphagia(level 4), 3 were mild dysphagia(level 5), and 3 were within functional limits(level 6). Although the groups were matched for age and sex, participants in the OPD group were significantly shorter, weighed less and had lower body mass index than their counterparts in the control group(both, P < 0.001). All s EMG parameter values were significantly higher in the OPD group compared with the control group(P < 0.05). Differences were most pronounced at the 3 mL swallowing volume. IMGMA at the 3 mL volume was the best predictor of OPD with a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of 85.0%, 90.0%, 73.9%, 94.7% and 88.8%, respectively.

Real-time and wearable functional electrical stimulation system for volitional hand motor function control using the electromyography bridge method

Voluntary participation of hemiplegic patients is crucial for functional electrical stimulation therapy.A wearable functional electrical stimulation system has been proposed for real-time volitional hand motor function control using the electromyography bridge method.Through a series of novel design concepts,including the integration of a detecting circuit and an analog-to-digital converter,a miniaturized functional electrical stimulation circuit technique,a low-power super-regeneration chip for wireless receiving,and two wearable armbands,a prototype system has been established with reduced size,power,and overall cost.Based on wrist joint torque reproduction and classification experiments performed on six healthy subjects,the optimized surface electromyography thresholds and trained logistic regression classifier parameters were statistically chosen to establish wrist and hand motion control with high accuracy.Test results showed that wrist flexion/extension,hand grasp,and finger extension could be reproduced with high accuracy and low latency.This system can build a bridge of information transmission between healthy limbs and paralyzed limbs,effectively improve voluntary participation of hemiplegic patients,and elevate efficiency of rehabilitation training.

Diagnostic value of orbicularis oculi muscle electromyography in functional epiphora

BACKGROUND Functional epiphora is a clinical condition which is not due to an anatomic defect.Most studies agree that it involves the action of the orbicularis oculi muscle,particularly its deeper segment(Horner’s muscle),but the exact mechanism is not clear.AIM To evaluate the orbicularis oculi muscle in functional epiphora patients using electromyography(EMG).METHODS A total of 8 Chinese patients(16 eyes)with functional epiphora were enrolled in this study,and ten volunteers(10 eyes)were included as normal controls.Five epiphora patients(five eyes)with facial palsy served as positive controls.Quantitative EMG was performed in the deeper segment of orbicularis oculi muscle.The average duration of each EMG waveform was measured.RESULTS The average duration of EMG waveforms in the normal control group,the functional epiphora group,and the facial palsy group were 6.39±0.73 ms,9.39±1.32 ms and 11.2±1.42 ms,respectively.The duration of EMG waveforms was significantly longer in the functional epiphora group than in the normal control group(P<0.05),and shorter than that in the facial palsy group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION These data indicate the presence of neurogenic orbicularis oculi muscle damage in epiphora patients,which may be the cause of functional epiphora.The etiology of neurogenic damage in the orbicularis oculi muscle requires further investigation.

Chaos, Fractal and Recurrence Quantification Analysis of Surface Electromyography in Muscular Dystrophy

We analyze muscular dystrophy recorded by sEMG and use standard methodologies and nonlinear chaotic methods here including the RQA. We reach sufficient evidence that the sEMG signal contains a large chaotic component. We have estimated the correlation dimension (fractal measure), the largest Lyapunov exponent, the LZ complexity and the %Rec and %Det of the RQA demonstrating that such indexes are able to detect the presence of repetitive hidden patterns in sEMG which, in turn, senses the level of MU synchronization within the muscle. The results give also an interesting methodological indication in the sense that it evidences the manner in which nonlinear methods and RQA must be arranged and applied in clinical routine in order to obtain results of clinical interest. We have studied the muscular dystrophy and evidence that the continuous regime of chaotic transitions that we have in muscular mechanisms may benefit in this pathology by the use of the NPT treatment that we have considered in detail in our previous publications.

Humane Non-Human Primate Model of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Utilizing Electromyography as a Measure of Impairment and Recovery

The overall goal of this project is to develop a humane non-human primate model of traumatic spinal cord injury that will facilitate the development and evaluation of therapeutic interventions. The model utilizes neurophysiological techniques to identify the location of the upper motor neuron axons that innervate the lower motor neurons that control tail musculature. This facilitates the placement of a selective lesion that partially disconnects the upper and lower motor neuron supply to the musculature of the tail. An implanted transmitter quantitatively measures electromyography data from the tail. The preliminary data indicates that this model is feasible. The subject was able to tolerate the implantation of the transmitter, without adverse effects. As well, there was no limb impairment, bowel dysfunction or bladder dysfunction. The histopathologic and electromyographic features of the selective experimental lesion were similar to human spinal cord injury.

Real-time surface electromyography in Parkinson's disease patients during exercise-induced muscle fatigue

To explore the mechanisms underlying exercise-induced local muscle fatigue in patients with idiopathic Parkinson＇s disease （PD）,we used surface electromyography to record myoelectric signals from the tibialis anterior muscle during isometric contraction-induced fatigue until exhaustion.The results revealed no significant differences between patients with idiopathic PD and healthy controls in maximum voluntary contraction of the tibialis anterior muscle.The basic characteristics of surface electromyography were also similar between the two groups.The duration of isometric contraction at 50% maximum voluntary contraction was shortened in PD patients.In addition,PD patients exhibited a stronger increase in mean square amplitude,but a weaker decrease in median frequency and mean power frequency compared with healthy controls during isometric contraction.The skeletal muscles of PD patients revealed specificity of surface electromyography findings,indicating increased fatigability compared with healthy controls.

Comparative study of surface electromyography of masticatory muscles in patients with different types of bruxism

BACKGROUND Bruxism is a rhythmic masticatory muscle activity that occurs involuntarily in a non-physiologically functional state.There is a lack of research classifying the functional status of masticatory muscles in patients with different mandibular movement types(centric clenching or eccentric grinding)of bruxism.AIM To assess the differences of the masticatory muscle activity in patients with different types of bruxism.METHODS A total of 21 subjects with centric bruxism(CB)and 21 subjects with eccentric bruxism(ECB)were screened from college students according to a questionnaire and their tooth wear features.Sixteen subjects with no bruxism were also recruited.The surface electromyography(EMG)signals of the temporalis anterior(TA)and superficial masseter muscle(MM)were measured in different mandibular positions and during the chewing task.The EMG amplitude and chewing cycle duration parameters were then analyzed.RESULTS The CB group showed fewer muscle maximal motor units,with the MM being more pronounced,a higher proportion of muscle contractions to be recruited for the same load of chewing activity,and a longer chewing cycle.The ECB group showed more TA maximal motor units and higher MM activity on the nonworking side in unilateral chewing.CONCLUSION CB mainly affects the MM,and patients with CB show reduced masticatory muscle contraction efficiency and chewing cycle efficiency.ECB mainly affects the TA,and patients with ECB show enhanced contraction of non-functional lateral muscle bundles.

Use of a specific questionnaire and perineal electromyography to assess neuropathic pain after radical retropubic prostatectomy

Objective:Prostate cancer is the most frequent cancer in men and radical retropubic prostatectomy(RRP)is one of the first-line treatment.However,RRP has some side effects and can lead to chronic perineal pain.The objective of the study was to determine in patients suffering from perineal pain after RRP the possibility of a neurogenic damage by means of a specific questionnaire dedicated to track down neuropathic pain.Methods:Forty patients were explored by a specific and validated questionnaire,the Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory(NPSI).Patients were divided into two groups:Group A with an NSPI score≥4 was considered as suffering from neuropathic pain,and Group B was considered as a control group without neuropathic pain(NSPI score<4).All patients had a perineal electrophysiological testing to confirm the possibility of a neurogenic damage.Results:Group A was composed by 13 men and Group B by 27 men,with mean age 72.45 years and mean duration of pain 2.7 years.In Group A,the most frequent symptoms were burning sensation,electrical shock and numbness.Location of the pain was global perineal area(8/13),anus(10/13),penis(5/13)and glans penis(2/13).Electromyography(EMG)findings confirmed the presence of denervation and neurogenic damages compared with controls(p<0.001).Conclusion:One third of the patients consulting for chronic pain following RRP had probably a neuropathic lesion leading to a chronic perineal pain as suggested by an NSPI score≥4 and EMG alterations.

Control method for exoskeleton ankle with surface electromyography signals

This paper is concerned with a control method for an exoskeleton ankle with electromyography （EMG） signals. The EMG signals of human ankle and the exoskeleton ankle are introduced. Then a control method is proposed to control the exoskeleton ankle using the EMG signals. The feed-forward neural network model applied here is composed of four layers and uses the back-propagation training algorithm. The output signals from neural network are processed by the wavelet transform. Finally the control orders generated from the output signals are passed to the motor controller and drive the exoskeleton to move. Through experiments, the equality of neural network prediction of ankle movement is evaluated by giving the correlation coefficient. It is shown from the experimental results that the proposed method can accurately control the movement of ankle joint.

Effects of Compression Garments on Lower Limb Muscle Activation via Electromyography Analysis during Running

Sports compression garments are common-selected sportswear to improve athletic performance and reduce sports injury. Since they consist of elastic textile that exerts compression and pressure onto the muscle,muscle activation is of interest to sports compression garment manufactures who seek to enhance sports performance through gradient compression garment design.However,there are few scientific investigations to explore this effect of muscle activation to evaluate the performance of sports compression garments during sport activity. In this paper, a systemic experimental protocol was presented to improve the quality of evaluation test under a standardized running test. Then muscle activation with and without wearing sport compression garments to highlight the changes caused by compression garment was investigated. The electromyography( EMG) signal was collected and processed by the proposed method to represent the muscle activation combined with gait analysis of running. As a result,the average muscle activation of gait cycle for the major muscles such as rectus femoris( RF) and gastrocnemius medialis( GM) revealed that they needed to exert more muscle force without wearing garment at certain periods for mid-stand and pre-swing phase within gait cycle. These lower muscle activation levels prolonged activity duration,reduced fatigue,and presented low risk for sport injury.Such an evaluation study therefore would scientifically prove the effect of compression garment and provide information on muscle activation and the ergonomic efficacy of gradient compression garment design.

The Effects of Breaststroke Kick Electromyography Muscle Activity

This paper evaluates the efficiency of using a downward breaststroke kick in a sample of eight elite swimmers.Using a downward breaststroke kick increases the one stroke velocity and max speed but also increases production of lactate acid.Utilizing the downward breaststroke kick we find the 100-meter and 100-yard breaststroke times decrease from 1:05.10s to 1:01.97s and find the downward breaststroke kick increases muscle activity of the quadriceps,biceps,and calves.The increases in performance were observed from measuring the world class swimmers are highly correlated to duration of the kick aerodynamic buoyant force in breaststroke.

Electromyography Control of a Computer Model of the Arm

Human arm movements may be adversely affected in the event of stroke or spinal cord injuries, eventually causing the patient to lose control of arm movements. Electromyography (EMG) is con-sidered the most effective technique for the restoration of arm movement in such cases. The reha-bilitation period for such patients is usually long. Moreover, complex treatment techniques may demoralize them. Therefore, this study, attempts to contribute to the development of a relaxing rehabilitation environment through electromyography control of a computer model of the arm. The model is created using MATLAB? and Data LINK software and other requisite components for training the targeted participants to control their arm movements. Six male participants with no history of injury to the arms or back were selected using the set protocol. The results and data collected are analysed using three performance measures i.e. the number of target hits, average time to target, and path efficiency for each target. Then, the main results in terms of the obtained performance measures are discussed and compared with those of previous studies.

Role of a wireless surface electromyography in dystonic gait in functional movement disorders: A case report

BACKGROUND Dystonic gait(DG) is one of clinical symptoms associated with functional dystonia in the functional movement disorders(FMDs). Dystonia is often initiated or worsened by voluntary action and associated with overflow muscle activation. There is no report for DG in FMDs caused by an abnormal pattern in the ankle muscle recruitment strategy during gait.CASE SUMMARY A 52-year-old male patient presented with persistent limping gait. When we requested him to do dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of his ankle in the standing and seating positions, we didn’t see any abnormality. However, we could see the DG during the gait. There were no evidences of common peroneal neuropathy and L5 radiculopathy in the electrodiagnostic study. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine, lower leg, and brain had no definite finding. No specific finding was seen in the neurologic examination. For further evaluation, a wireless surface electromyography(EMG) was performed. During the gait, EMG amplitude of left medial and lateral gastrocnemius(GCM) muscles was larger than right medial and lateral GCM muscles. When we analyzed EMG signals for each muscle, there were EMG bursts of double-contraction in the left medial and lateral GCM muscles, while EMG analysis of right medial and lateral GCM muscles noted regular bursts of single contraction. We could find a cause of DG in FMDs.CONCLUSION We report an importance of a wireless surface EMG, in which other examination didn’t reveal the cause of DG in FMDs.

Feasibility Assay for Measure of Sternocleidomastoid and Platysma Electromyography Signal for Brain-Computer Interface Feedback

A feasibility assay is conducted for electromyography measure in sternocleidomastoid and platysma, tenting to use it on Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) feedback. It is proposed a case of study for four healthy subjects with an average of 35 years old, two females and two males. Methodology proposed includes signal acquisition and processing with feature extraction of RMS, Mean and Variance. The data are acquired with the AD board NI USB-6009, interfaced with LabView and processed in MatLab. An uncertainty analysis was made obtaining a system uncertainty of ±2.31 mV. ANOVA analysis was done, with a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) experiment and interaction of factors and residues obtained with the software Minitab.

Design of Real-Time Document Control Based on Zigbee and Surface Electromyography (sEMG)

The human-computer interaction (HCI) is now playing a great role in computer technology. This study introduces an automatic document control technique which is based on the human hand waving movements. The recognition of hand movement is realized according to the surface electromyography (sEMG). A collector is set on the forearm. The sEMG signal is recorded and conveyed to a PC terminal by using wireless Zigbee. An automatic algorithm is developed in order to extract the characteristics of sEMG, recognize the waving movements, and transmit to document control command. The developed human-computer interaction technique can be used as a new gallery for teaching, as well as an assistant tool for disabled person.

Needle Electromyography, F-Wave, and H-Reflex: A Critical Reappraisal of Their Utility in the Diagnosis of Various Sensory Symptoms in the Extremities and Spine in the Setting of Normal Neurological Examination

Objective: Health care providers refer their patients to electromyography (EMG) laboratories for the evaluation of various sensory symptoms in the extremities and spine. The procedure is usually performed in conjunction with transcutaneous electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves and elicitation of the F-wave and H-reflex. The present study aimed to determine the real value of these procedures in the diagnosis of sensory symptoms in the setting of a normal neurologic examination. Method: The EMG reports and clinical histories of 100 patients, including 10 patients evaluated by other electromyographers, were reviewed. The study was focused on those with normal neurological examinations and those without histories of ongoing medical disorders and major surgeries to the extremities and spine. Results: All EMGs, F-wave, and H-reflex reports reviewed were normal, including those obtained from the second procedure performed in some patients and of those who subsequently underwent spinal surgery. Neurologic examination in all patients was normal. Conclusion: Needle EMG, F-wave and H-Reflex examinations are predictably normal in patients with non-dermatomal, non-neuropathic sensory symptoms with normal neurologic examination and without history of preexisting medical and surgical disorders. A good neurologic examination should determine the need to perform these procedures. Our findings have important diagnostic, therapeutic, prognostic, economic and legal implications.

Comparison of Electromyography Responses in Spinal Cord Injury Patients Using an Operant Conditional Protocol Treatment

Background Electromyography (EMG) biofeedback has been used in spinal cord injury rehabilitation, but optimal indication and treatment protocols still need to be identified. Objectives To use an operant conditioning learning paradigm to compare the EMG responses in subjects with spinal cord injury for optimal indication of EMG biofeedback treatment. Participants Thirty rehabilitation outpatients with incomplete cervical spinal cord injury. The subjects were divided into three groups based on their scores on the ASIA scale (ASIA B, ASIA C and ASIA D groups), with ten patients in each group. Methods Repeated-measure trials were conducted to compare patients’ EMG responses between pre-initial and post-biofeedback treatment. In the sessions, visual feedback of EMG activity of the triceps brachii muscle was provided to the patient in accordance with the treatment protocol. Results One-way ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to examine the differences in the measures between groups. The initial EMG and final EMG measures were not significantly different between the ASIA C and D groups, but these measures were different between the ASIA B group and the ASIA C and D groups. In the ASIA B group, the EMG responses started out lower than those in the other groups and varied less, especially in comparison to the ASIA C group. Conclusion: These results reveal that the patients classified as ASIA C and D achieved better responses of the operant conditional learning protocol and optimal indication for the biofeedback treatment.