title: The effect of Video Display Terminal (VDT) mouse use on muscle contractions in the neck and forearm.
abstract: This study used surface electromyography (EMG) to examine the percent of maximum voluntary contraction (%MVC) of the upper trapezius, the flexors of the wrist/fingers and extensors of the wrist/fingers during Video Display Terminal (VDT) mouse use with the mouse positioned either next to the computer or on a lapdesk. Thirty participants, between the ages of 18 and 40, used a VDT mouse to follow a prescribed pattern for three trials at each location. Although there was a trend towards the lapdesk location producing lower %MVC than the computer location for the trapezius and wrist/finger flexors (lapdesk: trapezius M 4.71%, wrist/finger flexors M 3.53%; computer: trapezius M 5.74%, wrist/finger flexors M 3.94%) a two way ANOVA controlling for sequence and order found no significant difference between the means. There was no trend for the effects of location for the wrist/finger extensors. These results suggest that changing the position of the mouse may not significantly reduce muscle contractions.
authors.affiliation: Boston University, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy A.
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trombly