Advances in Applied Electromyography

Book excerpt: The electrical activity of the muscles, as measured by means of electromyography (EMG), is a major expression of muscle contraction. This book aims at providing an updated overview of the recent developments in electromyography from diverse aspects and various applications in clinical and experimental research. It consists of ten chapters arranged in four sections. The first section deals with EMG signals from skeletal muscles and their significance in assessing biomechanical and physiologic function and in applications in neuro-musculo-skeletal rehabilitation. The second section addresses methodologies for the treatment of the signal itself: noise removal and pattern recognition for the activation of artificial limbs. The third section deals with utilizing the EMG signals for inferring on the mechanical action of the muscle, such as force, e.g., pinching force in humans or sucking pressure in the cibarial pump during feeding of the hematophagous hemiptera insect. The fourth and last section deals with the clinical role of electromyograms in studying the pelvic floor muscle function.