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On the Applications of EMG Sensors and Signals-Edition II

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A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Intelligent Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2023) | Viewed by 8731

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Dr. Ernest N. Kamavuako

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Guest Editor

Centre for Robotics Research, Department of Engineering, Faculty of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
Interests: biological sensors/signals and their applications in prostheses; fluid quantification and monitoring; cardiology
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Dear Colleagues,

Electromyography (EMG) is a technique for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by muscles. EMG signals can be harvested on the surface of the skin, under the skin, and inside the muscle providing different levels of information. Over the last few decades, there have been considerable advances in sensor technologies, including miniaturization; this has enabled EMG sensors to be applied in many areas, including, but not limited to, electrodiagnostic medicine, robotics, rehabilitation (prostheses, assistive devices), hydration and nutrition, motion analysis, and modeling of handwriting.

This Special Issue attempts to capture the latest advances in EMG sensor development, EMG sensor applications, and EMG signal conditioning, from both theoretical and experimental approaches.

Dr. Ernest N. Kamavuako
Guest Editor

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Keywords

electromyography (EMG)
surface electromyogram (sEMG)
intramuscular EMG
EMG sensors
EMG signals
EMG modelling
EMG feature extraction
pattern recognition
fluid estimation
prosthetics

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2887 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Minimalist vs. Traditional Running Shoes on Abdominal Lumbopelvic Muscle Activity in Women Running at Different Speeds: A Randomized Cross-Over Clinical Trial

by María García-Arrabé, Marta de la Plaza San Frutos, Alberto Bermejo-Franco, Rebeca del Prado-Álvarez, Javier López-Ruiz, José Angel del-Blanco-Muñiz and María-José Giménez

Sensors 2024, 24(2), 310; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24020310 - 5 Jan 2024

Viewed by 812

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate if the characteristics of different running shoes could influence intra-abdominal pressure during running. A single-centre, randomized, prospective cross-over clinical trial was performed measuring activity patterns of internal oblique (IO), lumbar erector (LE), and gluteus maximus (GM) muscles in healthy women when running with minimalist shoes (MS). Participants were randomly allocated into two-sequence (MS/TS or TS/MS) treadmill running at six, nine, and eleven km/h. The surface electromyographic activity of IO, LE, and GM muscles were recorded while running. A repeated measures ANOVA explored the interaction effects of three-muscle x three speeds x two shoes. Significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Fifty-one healthy nulliparous women (mean age: 26.55 ± 5.11 years; body mass index: 21.29 ± 2.07 Kg/m²) were included. Our findings revealed lower activations of the LE compared to the internal oblique IO and GM, irrespective of running speed and footwear used. Electromyographic activation significantly increased with higher running speeds (p < 0.001) for all muscles, regardless of the type of footwear. Although electromyographic records with MS consistently showed higher values than those with TS, the differences were not statistically significant for all muscles at all speeds. Our results indicate that electromyographic activation patterns vary according to the muscle group, exhibiting higher values with increased running speed. No significant differences were observed between MS and TS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue On the Applications of EMG Sensors and Signals-Edition II)

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14 pages, 3392 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Integrated Approach for Real-Time Monitoring of Knee Dynamics with IMUs and Multichannel EMG

by Nebojsa Malesevic, Ingrid Svensson, Gunnar Hägglund and Christian Antfolk

Sensors 2023, 23(21), 8955; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23218955 - 3 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1362

Abstract

Measuring human joint dynamics is crucial for understanding how our bodies move and function, providing valuable insights into biomechanics and motor control. Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder affecting motor control and posture, leading to diverse gait abnormalities, including altered knee angles. The accurate measurement and analysis of knee angles in individuals with CP are crucial for understanding their gait patterns, assessing treatment outcomes, and guiding interventions. This paper presents a novel multimodal approach that combines inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors and electromyography (EMG) to measure knee angles in individuals with CP during gait and other daily activities. We discuss the performance of this integrated approach, highlighting the accuracy of IMU sensors in capturing knee joint movements when compared with an optical motion-tracking system and the complementary insights offered by EMG in assessing muscle activation patterns. Moreover, we delve into the technical aspects of the developed device. The presented results show that the angle measurement error falls within the reported values of the state-of-the-art IMU-based knee joint angle measurement devices while enabling a high-quality EMG recording over prolonged periods of time. While the device was designed and developed primarily for measuring knee activity in individuals with CP, its usability extends beyond this specific use-case scenario, making it suitable for applications that involve human joint evaluation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue On the Applications of EMG Sensors and Signals-Edition II)

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15 pages, 1606 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Cross-Day Analysis of EMG Features, Classifiers, and Regressors for Swallowing Events Detection and Fluid Intake Volume Estimation

by Iman Ismail, Imran Khan Niazi, Heidi Haavik and Ernest N. Kamavuako

Sensors 2023, 23(21), 8789; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23218789 - 28 Oct 2023

Viewed by 839

Abstract

Dehydration is a common problem among older adults. It can seriously affect their health and wellbeing and sometimes leads to death, given the diminution of thirst sensation as we age. It is, therefore, essential to keep older adults properly hydrated by monitoring their fluid intake and estimating how much they drink. This paper aims to investigate the effect of surface electromyography (sEMG) features on the detection of drinking events and estimation of the amount of water swallowed per sip. Eleven individuals took part in the study, with data collected over two days. We investigated the best combination of a pool of twenty-six time and frequency domain sEMG features using five classifiers and seven regressors. Results revealed an average F-score over two days of

77.5 \pm 1.35 %

in distinguishing the drinking events from non-drinking events using three global features and

85.5 \pm 1.00 %

using three subject-specific features. The average volume estimation RMSE was

6.83 \pm 0.14

mL using one single global feature and

6.34 \pm 0.12

mL using a single subject-specific feature. These promising results validate and encourage the potential use of sEMG as an essential factor for monitoring and estimating the amount of fluid intake. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue On the Applications of EMG Sensors and Signals-Edition II)

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12 pages, 2621 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Decision-Making Time and Neuromuscular Coordination in Youth and Senior Soccer Goalkeepers

by Katarzyna Piechota and Edyta Majorczyk

Sensors 2023, 23(9), 4483; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23094483 - 4 May 2023

Viewed by 1970

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare soccer goalkeepers’ decision-making times following a shot on goal and to determine goalkeepers’ movement pattern structures using EMG in a typical game situation (two-on-one). Two groups of goalkeepers (n = 60) took part in the study: Group A, the senior group (22.00 ± 2.35 years of age), and Group B, the youth group (15.38 ± 1.32 years of age). The goalkeepers’ decision-making times were measured by using EMG from the moment the attacker struck the ball until the completion of the saving action by the goalkeeper. Subsequently, the goalkeepers’ movement pattern structure was determined (for both Groups A and B), and the values of muscle bioelectrical tension during a typical defensive situation in training conditions were revealed. The findings clearly indicate a significantly (p = 0.001) shorter decision-making time in experienced goalkeepers (250–260 ms) than in novices (300–320 ms). In addition, the movement pattern structure confirmed the hypotheses on the economization of effort and the visual-muscular coordination of the postural muscles (calf muscles) that affect soccer goalkeepers. The study also demonstrated a lower bioelectric tension of the gastrocnemius muscle (GAS.MED. RT—p = 0.008; GAS.LAT. RT—p = 0.030) in the expert goalkeepers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue On the Applications of EMG Sensors and Signals-Edition II)

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17 pages, 6054 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differences in Trapezius Muscle H-Reflex between Asymptomatic Subjects and Symptomatic Shoulder Pain Subjects

by Ana S. C. Melo, Janet L. Taylor, Ricardo Ferreira, Bruno Cunha, Manuel Ascenção, Mathieu Fernandes, Vítor Sousa, Eduardo B. Cruz, J. Paulo Vilas-Boas and Andreia S. P. Sousa

Sensors 2023, 23(9), 4217; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23094217 - 23 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3044

Abstract

In chronic shoulder pain, adaptations in the nervous system such as in motoneuron excitability, could contribute to impairments in scapular muscles, perpetuation and recurrence of pain and reduced improvements during rehabilitation. The present cross-sectional study aims to compare trapezius neural excitability between symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects. In 12 participants with chronic shoulder pain (symptomatic group) and 12 without shoulder pain (asymptomatic group), the H reflex was evoked in all trapezius muscle parts, through C3/4 nerve stimulation, and the M-wave through accessory nerve stimulation. The current intensity to evoke the maximum H reflex, the latency and the maximum peak-to-peak amplitude of both the H reflex and M-wave, as well as the ratio between these two variables, were calculated. The percentage of responses was considered. Overall, M-waves were elicited in most participants, while the H reflex was elicited only in 58–75% or in 42–58% of the asymptomatic and symptomatic participants, respectively. A comparison between groups revealed that the symptomatic group presented a smaller maximum H reflex as a percentage of M-wave from upper trapezius and longer maximal H reflex latency from the lower trapezius (p < 0.05). Subjects with chronic shoulder pain present changes in trapezius H reflex parameters, highlighting the need to consider trapezius neuromuscular control in these individuals’ rehabilitation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue On the Applications of EMG Sensors and Signals-Edition II)

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