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Introduction to Electromyography (EMG)

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29 views24 pages

Lec 1

Introduction to Electromyography (EMG)

Uploaded by

rasool.mohammed199793
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ASHUR UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTEMENT

Introduction to Electromyography (EMG)


Medical Instrumentation
Fourth Stage – First Term

Rasool AL-Gburi

1
Outline

 Anatomy of human muscle


 What is EMG?
 EMG signal
 EMG electrodes
 Types of EMG
 EMG Block Diagram

2
Anatomy of human muscle

The human body contains three kinds of muscle


tissue and each performs specific tasks to maintain
homeostasis:
 Cardiac muscle.
 Smooth muscle.
 Skeletal muscle.

3
Anatomy of human muscle

Skeletal muscle derives its name from the fact that


it is usually attached to the skeleton. Contraction of
skeletal muscle moves one part of the body with
respect to another part, as in flexing the forearm.
Contraction of several skeletal muscles in a
coordinated manner moves the entire body in its
environment, as in walking or swimming. 4
Anatomy of human muscle

The primary function of muscle, regardless of the


kind, is to convert chemical energy to mechanical
work, and in so doing, the muscle shortens or
contracts.
Human skeletal muscle consists of hundreds of
individual cylindrically shaped cells (called fibers)
bound together by connective tissue. 5
Anatomy of human muscle

6
Anatomy of human muscle

In the body, skeletal muscles are stimulated to


contract by somatic motor nerves that carry signals
in the form of nerve impulses from the brain or
spinal cord to the skeletal muscles.
Axons (or nerve fibers) are long cylindrical
extensions of the neurons.
7
Anatomy of human muscle

Axons leave the spinal cord via spinal nerves and


the brain via cranial nerves, and are distributed to
appropriate skeletal muscles in the form of a
peripheral nerve, which is a cable-like collection of
individual nerve fibers.
Upon reaching the muscle, each nerve fiber
branches and innervates several individual muscle 8
Anatomy of human muscle

9
What is EMG?

Electromyography (EMG) is a medical technique


used to measure the electrical activity produced by
muscles during contraction or relaxation. This
measurement is achieved by placing electrodes on
the skin's surface or inserting fine needles into the
muscle. The purpose of EMG is to assess the health
of muscles and the nerve cells that control them. 10
EMG signal

An EMG signal refers to the electrical activity produced by


muscle fibers when they contract or relax. These signals are
generated by the depolarization and repolarization of muscle
membranes, which are triggered by motor neurons.
The signals can be recorded through electrodes placed
either on the skin's surface or inserted into the muscle, and
they provide valuable information about the neuromuscular
system's function.
11
EMG signal

Key Characteristics of an EMG Signal:


Amplitude: The amplitude of an EMG signal can range from
a few microvolts (µV) to millivolts (mV), depending on the
type of electrode used and the depth of muscle activity being
measured.
Frequency: EMG signals typically have a frequency range
between 0-500 Hz, with most activity concentrated between
50-150 Hz. Higher frequencies are associated with more
12
EMG signal

Key Characteristics of an EMG Signal:


Phases: The signal can be divided into different phases,
where each phase represents a distinct change in the
electrical potential of the muscle fibers during their activity.
Noise: The recorded EMG signal often contains noise, such
as electrical interference or movement artifacts. Proper
filtering and signal processing are necessary to extract
meaningful information.
13
EMG electrodes

Electrodes are a crucial part of the electromyography (EMG)


process as they capture the electrical signals produced by
muscle activity. The choice of electrode type can influence the
quality of the EMG signal and the type of data collected.
There are two main types of EMG electrodes: Surface
Electrodes and Intramuscular (Needle) Electrodes. Each type
is used for different purposes and provides different levels of
detail.
14
Types of EMG

Surface EMG (sEMG): Measures the overall muscle activity


from a group of muscles through electrodes placed on the
skin.
 Non-invasive: No need to insert needles, making it
painless.
 Global muscle activity: Captures signals from a group of
muscle fibers.
 Limited specificity: Surface EMG cannot isolate the
15
Types of EMG

16
Types of EMG

Applications of Surface EMG :


Rehabilitation: Used to monitor muscle activation during
physical therapy or after injury.
Sports performance: Helps assess muscle activation patterns
during exercise and optimize training programs.
Wearable devices: sEMG sensors are integrated into
wearable devices to monitor real-time muscle activity in
health and fitness applications.
17
Types of EMG

Advantages
 Easy to apply and use.
 Suitable for dynamic, real-time monitoring of muscle
activity.
 No discomfort or risk of infection.
Limitations
 Limited to surface muscles, less effective for deep muscle
monitoring.
18
Types of EMG

Intramuscular EMG (Needle EMG): involves inserting thin


needle electrodes directly into the muscle tissue to record
the electrical activity of individual muscle fibers or small
groups of fibers.
 Invasive: Requires the insertion of needles into the muscle.
 Captures finer details
 High specificity: Provides detailed information about the
activity of specific muscle fibers or deeper muscles.
19
Types of EMG

20
Types of EMG

Applications of Intramuscular EMG :


Neurological diagnostics: Used to diagnose conditions like
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), myasthenia gravis, or
muscular dystrophy.
Research: Provides in-depth data for studying muscle
physiology and neurophysiology.
Deep muscle analysis: Useful for evaluating muscles that
cannot be accessed with surface electrodes.
21
Types of EMG

Advantages
 High resolution and specificity for diagnosing
neuromuscular disorders.
 Can target specific muscles or muscle groups, providing
more details
 Useful in clinical diagnosis where precision is required.
Limitations
 Invasive and can cause discomfort or pain.
22
EMG Block Diagram

EMG block diagram illustrates the components and


processes involved in recording and analyzing an EMG
signal.

23
EMG Block Diagram

Electrodes: Capture electrical activity from muscles.


Preamplifier: Boosts weak EMG signals to minimize noise.
Band-pass Filter: Filters unwanted frequencies.
Main Amplifier: Further amplifies the signal to make it ready
for analysis.
Signal Processing: Techniques like rectification, smoothing,
and frequency analysis are applied to enhance
interpretation.
24

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