Next Article in Journal
Comment on Jaworska, J. et al. Consensus on the Application of Lung Ultrasound in Pneumonia and Bronchiolitis in Children. Diagnostics 2020, 10, 935
Previous Article in Journal
MicroRNAs as Useful Tools to Estimate Time Since Death. A Systematic Review of Current Literature
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Diagnostics
Volume 11
Issue 1
10.3390/diagnostics11010065
diagnostics-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Using Portable Ultrasound to Monitor the Neuromuscular Reactivity to Low-Frequency Electrical Stimulation

by
Alin Petraş
1,
Răzvan Gabriel Drăgoi
1,*,
Vasile Pupazan
2,
Mihai Drăgoi
1,
Daniel Popa
1 and
Adrian Neagu
2,3
1
Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Balneology and Rheumatology, Victor Babeş University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timişoara, 300041 Timişoara, Romania
2
Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babeş University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timişoara, 300041Timişoara, Romania
3
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Diagnostics 2021, 11(1), 65; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11010065
Submission received: 11 November 2020 / Revised: 26 December 2020 / Accepted: 28 December 2020 / Published: 3 January 2021
(This article belongs to the Section Medical Imaging and Theranostics)
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is useful for muscle strengthening and for motor restoration of stroke patients. Using a portable ultrasound instrument, we developed an M-mode imaging protocol to visualize contractions elicited by NMES in the quadriceps muscle group. To quantify muscle activation, we performed digital image processing based on the Teager–Kaiser energy operator. The proposed method was applied for 35 voluntary patients (18 women and 17 men), of 63.8 ± 14.1 years and body mass index (BMI) 30.2 ± 6.70 kg/m2 (mean ± standard deviation). Biphasic, rectangular electric pulses of 350 µs duration were applied at two frequencies (60 Hz and 120 Hz), and ultrasound was used to assess the sensory threshold (ST) and motor threshold (MT) amplitude of the NMES signal. The MT was 23.4 ± 4.94 mA, whereas the MT to ST ratio was 2.69 ± 0.57. Linear regression analysis revealed that MT correlates poorly with body mass index (R2 = 0.004) or with the thickness of the subcutaneous adipose tissue layer that covers the treated muscle (R2 = 0.013). Our work suggests that ultrasound is suitable to visualize neuromuscular reactivity during electrotherapy. The proposed method can be used in the clinic, enabling the physiotherapist to establish personalized treatment parameters.
Keywords: M-mode scan; muscle activation; Teager–Kaiser energy operator (TKEO); electrotherapy; sensory threshold; motor threshold M-mode scan; muscle activation; Teager–Kaiser energy operator (TKEO); electrotherapy; sensory threshold; motor threshold

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Petraş, A.; Drăgoi, R.G.; Pupazan, V.; Drăgoi, M.; Popa, D.; Neagu, A. Using Portable Ultrasound to Monitor the Neuromuscular Reactivity to Low-Frequency Electrical Stimulation. Diagnostics 2021, 11, 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11010065

AMA Style

Petraş A, Drăgoi RG, Pupazan V, Drăgoi M, Popa D, Neagu A. Using Portable Ultrasound to Monitor the Neuromuscular Reactivity to Low-Frequency Electrical Stimulation. Diagnostics. 2021; 11(1):65. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11010065

Chicago/Turabian Style

Petraş, Alin, Răzvan Gabriel Drăgoi, Vasile Pupazan, Mihai Drăgoi, Daniel Popa, and Adrian Neagu. 2021. "Using Portable Ultrasound to Monitor the Neuromuscular Reactivity to Low-Frequency Electrical Stimulation" Diagnostics 11, no. 1: 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11010065

APA Style

Petraş, A., Drăgoi, R. G., Pupazan, V., Drăgoi, M., Popa, D., & Neagu, A. (2021). Using Portable Ultrasound to Monitor the Neuromuscular Reactivity to Low-Frequency Electrical Stimulation. Diagnostics, 11(1), 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11010065

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop