Analysis and comparison of reflex times and electromyograms of cervical muscles under impact loading using surface and fine-wire electroces.
Myoelectric signals [electromyograms (EMGs)] can be collected using either surface or fine-wire electrodes. Application of the latter results in higher-frequency contents of EMG. In the field of impact biomechanics, surface electrodes are more often utilized than fine-wire ones. However, the removal of motion artefacts from EMG recorded under transient loads requires application of high-pass filters with relatively high cutoff frequencies, which may eliminate a significant part of the surface EMG power spectra. Therefore, in the current study, both surface and fine-wire electrodes were utilized to record the EMG of cervical muscles under conditions simulating a rear-end car collision at low speed. The results indicated that application of high-pass filtering at 50 Hz can be necessary to remove motion artefacts from the EMG collected under such conditions. Such filtering resulted in a higher decrease in amplitude of the surface EMG than that of the fine-wire one. However, the reflex times obtained here were not significantly affected by the type of the electrodes utilized to collect EMG.
Wittek
A
A
Crash Safety Research Division, Japan Automobile Research Institute, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. adwit@jari.or.jp
Ono
K
K
Kajzer
J
J
Ortengren
R
R
Inami
S
S
D016477:Artifacts; D004566:Electrodes; D004576:Electromyography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012026:Reflex, Stretch / Q000502:physiology*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology*; D014911:Whiplash Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology