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WITHIN-TRAIN NEUROMUSCULAR PROPAGATION VARIES WITH TORQUE IN PARALYZED HUMAN MUSCLE
Journal article   Peer reviewed

WITHIN-TRAIN NEUROMUSCULAR PROPAGATION VARIES WITH TORQUE IN PARALYZED HUMAN MUSCLE

Ya-Ju Chang and Richard K Shields
Muscle & nerve, Vol.26(5), pp.673-680
11/2002
DOI: 10.1002/mus.10245
PMCID: PMC4693291
PMID: 12402290

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Abstract

Electromyographic (EMG) recordings may serve an important role in predicting torque during repetitive activation of paralyzed muscle. We compared the initial M-wave to the subsequent M-waves of the same train under fatigued and recovered conditions in the paralyzed human soleus muscle. Sixteen individuals with chronic ( n = 13) or acute paralysis ( n = 3) had the tibial nerve activated before and after a repetitive supramaximal stimulation protocol. The mean within-train M-wave amplitude and median frequency increased ~20%, whereas the duration decreased ~15% compared with the initial M-wave of each train. During fatigue, there was a linear decrease in the difference between the initial M-wave amplitude and subsequent train (~20% to 8%). Following fatigue, this difference recovered to ~12%. The difference between the M-wave train average and the initial M-wave for amplitude, duration, and median frequency closely followed torque (Pearson correlations = 0.99, 0.94, and 0.98, respectively) during fatigue. We conclude that the difference between the later-occurring M-waves (average of the train) and initial M-wave is large when muscle torque is high and less when torque is low and, therefore, predicts torque during activation of paralyzed muscle. This difference in the within-train M-wave amplitude, duration, and median frequency may reflect a mechanical change, such as muscle shortening and increased muscle cross-sectional area during isometric contractions. Electromyographic feedback may assist in the optimization of neuromuscular electrical stimulation of paralyzed muscle.
plasticity electromyography (EMG) excitation–contraction coupling low-frequency fatigue

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