Name: Nurhassen Awoll
Roll.no: GE23M005
@NIID Lab
RECORDING AND ANALYSIS OF SURFACE EMG SIGNALS
WITH VARRYING GRIP STRENGTH
Aim: To record and analyse EMO signals from flexor muscle with varying grip strength to
identify, variations in dominant and non-dominant hand.
Objective:
To record EMG signals using signal acquisition system with minimum artifacts
To identify correlation in EMG sigrals with varying grip strength for dominant and non-
dominant hands
Apparatus Required:
Ag-AgCl foam dise-type surface electrodes
Gauze for skin preparation
Computer
Hand dynamometer
Biopac Science Lab system (MP40 and software)
MATLAB software
Theory:
Skeletal muscles are responsible for numerous activities that are performed in our daily life
such as locomotion and posture maintenance. They play a vital role in force control for making
precise or powerful movements. It consists of fibers that are innervated by a-motor neurons for
producing these movements. Surface electromyography (sEMG) is a non-invasive technique
that records the muscle activity with the help of surface electrodes. Measurement of maximal
grip strength (MGS) is an essential element to follow people during growth, aging, injury,
rehabilitation, training or therapeutic trials. Its measurement is performed using dynamometers,
which estimate the muscle strength primarily generated by the flexor muscles of the hand and
the forearm.
Method
EMG electrode placement
The signals are attained from the participants' dominant hand. The criteria for the selection of
subjects include no experience in weight training and no neuromuscular disease history. An
informed consent of the subject is taken, since pain may be induced during the exercise which
might last for a few days. Before recording the signal, the skin is abraded and cleaned in order
to provide better electrode skin interface. The alcohol is widely used for cleaning the skin in
order to eliminate the wetness or sweat and reduce skin impedance. Instructions about the task
are provided to subjects prior to start of the experimentation. The signals are acquired in bipolar
electrode configuration with two surface electrodes kept on flexor muscle belly at an
interelectrode distance of 2 em based on Surface Electromyography for Non Invasive
Assessment of Muscles (SENIAM) standards
SEMG signal acqusition
The participants are advised to stand straight on the insulated platform to isolate from the
ground. The sEMG signals are acquired with BIOPAC MP36 data acquisition system which is
approved by Food and Drug Administration. The bio amplifier has signal to noise ratio,
differential mode input impedance and common mode rejection ratio of 89 dB, 2 MQ and 110
dB respectively. The 24 bits resolution analog to digital converter is present in the acquisition
system and the gain is set to 1000. The signals are acquired with the sampling rate of 10 KHz.
In the offline analysis, the signal is down sampled to 1000 Hz. in order to reduce the
computational head.
Hand grip strength measurement:
The height and weight of the subjects were recorded as well as anthropometric hand data were
measured by the experimenter using a standard 1000-mm tape measure. The circumference of
the forearm was defined as the perimeter of the largest part of the forearm, located over the
bulk of the brachioradialis muscle, at the proximal quarter of the whole forearm length (Fig.
2a). The circumference of the hand was measured as the perimeter of the middle part of hand,
located at the two major transverse palmar creases ("heart line" and "head line") (Fig. 26). Hand
length was defined as the distance from the tip of the middle finger to the midline of the distal
wrist crease (Fig. 2c) All anthropometric data were measured to the nearest millimetre with the
forearm and hand in an outstretched and supinated position. Dominant side was defined as the
hand with which the subject writes.
Experimental Setup:
Before applying electrodes to the subject, it is first important to properly prepare and
clean the electrode sites
Let the areas dry before attaching the electrodes
Two surface electrodes kept on flexor muscle belly at an interelectrode distance of 2
cm
A reference electrode is positioned in the elbow
Setup the Biopac signal acquisition system. Insert the connectors on the red and black
electrode lead wires into the matching sockets on the EMG cable
The subjects are instructed to maintain an upright posture with the minimal torso and
the upper arm distance. They are advised not to rest the elbow on the hip
The upper arm is maintained in vertical position and the forearm is held in supine
poutiaon.
Subjects were verbally encouraged to produce their maximal grip strength (MGS). Two
trials were first recorded, consisting of a 2-4-second maximal contraction, with a 30-
second test period between each trial. If the relative difference between these two MGS
was within 10%, no additional trial was require
This is repeated for 50% and 10% MGS in stages, noting down the values of
dynamometer.
Raw signals are pre-processed and analysed using MATLAB
Placement of electrodes for recording EMG
Results
Table 1: Anthropometric measurements
Subject Height Weight(kg) Forearm Hand Hand
(cm) circumference circumference length (cm)
(cm) (cm)
Dominant 170 63 26.4 16.6 26
hand
Non 170 63 26 17 25.5
dominant
hand
Table 2: Observations recorded
Subject Grip Grip RMS Mean Maximum Zero
strength strength value(mV) absolute amplitude crossing
(kg) value (mv) rate
Dominant Maximum 34.5 0.0292 0.0197 0.1077 126
hand (100%)
Non- Maximum 54.5 0.2609 0. 1986 1.0666 228
dominant (100%)
hand
Dominant 50% 17.25 0.0229 0.0189 0.0705 124
hand
Non- 50% 27.25 0.0545 0.0367 0.3000 137
dominant
hand
Dominant 10% 3.45 0.0235 0.0194 0.0720 120
hand
Non- 10% 5.45 0.0289 0.0231 0.1019 135
dominant
hand
Conclusion:
Time domain features are extracted from the pre-processed EMG signals to identify variations
in signals recorded from non-dominant and dominant hand of a subject with varying grip
strength.
