title: Electrohysterography of labor contractions: propagation velocity and direction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Electrohysterographic assessment of the propagation velocity of uterine depolarization has been introduced as a promising predictor of preterm labor. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to characterize the uterine electrohysterographic signals during labor and to determine the propagation velocity and propagation direction of electrohysterographic signals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight women in active labor at term.
  
  
  METHODS
  Electrohysterograms (three channels) were recorded using surface electrodes placed abdominally along the vertical median axis with an inter-electrode distance of 6.5-11.2 cm. In total, 89 contractions were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Electrohysterographic characteristics: The duration of the contractions was 61.0 ± 18.0 s (mean ± SD). The median frequency of the power spectrum density was 0.51 (0.44; 0.51) Hz (median; 10th; 90th percentile). The greatest signal magnitude was obtained by the electrode in the centermost position. The propagation velocity: 2.15 (0.66; 13.8) cm/s in the upper part and 1.53 (0.58; 6.7) cm/s in the lower part of the uterus. Propagation direction: Both downward (58%) and upward (42%) propagation of the electrohysterographic signals occurred. Moreover, downward and upward propagations were recorded simultaneously in the upper and lower part of the uterus, suggesting a multidirectional propagation pattern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Labor contractions, expressed by electrohysterographic signals, propagate both in the downward and upward direction, a phenomenon that must be taken into account when determining the propagation velocity for preterm labor diagnostics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. eva.mikkelsen@ki.au.dk
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mikkelsen
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuglsang-Frederiksen
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uldbjerg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004568:Electrodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Labor; electrohysterography; electromyography; physiology; power spectrum density; propagation velocity; uterine contractions