title: Potentials recorded from neck and supraclavicular fossa during a rapid voluntary contraction of the triceps brachii muscle.
abstract: Two experiments were performed in order to study whether it is possible to record potentials related to the voluntary movement from electrodes placed on the skin overlying the spinous process of the 2nd and 6th cervical vertebrae and at Erb's point ipsilateral to the movement. In the first series of experiments (Experiment I) the subject initiated spontaneously an arm movement accompanying a contraction of the right triceps brachii muscle. Rapid extension of the right 5 fingers was also performed self paced. Recordings of the potentials were referential to the left knee. The morphology of the potentials from the neck and Erb's point did not differ among time constants, between experimental days, among subjects and between the arm movement and the finger movement. A negative deflection of the cervical potential started preceding the onset of the electromyogram (EMG). This negativity was followed by a positive deflection after the EMG onset. The positive potential was followed by a negative deflection during the rising phase of the EMG. In the second series of experiments the subject performed both reaction and self-paced arm movements. The prime mover was the same as the agonist in Experiment I. Morphology of the potentials recorded with monopolar and bipolar derivations did not differ between the differently initiated movements and among the subjects. The morphology of the potentials from the neck and Erb's point was the same as the morphology of the potentials recorded in Experiment I. The present results indicate that it is possible to record the potentials related to the voluntary movement from neck and supraclavicular fossa.
authors.affiliation: Human Engineering Department, Industrial Products Research Institute, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanii
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsuji
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology; D002968:Clavicle; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005385:Fingers / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D009333:Neck; D013997:Time Factors