EXPERIMENT II :

ELECTROMYOGRAPHY

• EMG

DATA REPORT

Student’s Name & Surname:

İlayda Kavascık

Student’s ID:
150402004

Lab Section: Date:

i. Goal of the Experiment and Summary

Electromyography (EMG) is an electrodiagnostic medicine technique for evaluating and

recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. EMG is performed using an
instrument called an electromyograph to produce a record called an electromyogram. An
electromyograph detects the electric potential generated by muscle cells when these cells
are electrically or neurologically activated. The signals can be analyzed to detect medical
abnormalities, activation level, or recruitment order, or to analyze the biomechanics of
human or animal movement.

In this experiment, we will measure the isometric, isotonic and muscle fatigue
activities.

An isometric exercise is a form of exercise involving the static contraction of a muscle

without any visible movement in the angle of the joint. The term "isometric" combines the
Greek words "Isos" (equal) and "metria" (measuring), meaning that in these exercises the
length of the muscle and the angle of the joint do not change, though contraction strength
may be varied. This is in contrast to isotonic contractions, in which the contraction strength
does not change, though the muscle length and joint angle do.

Isotonic contractions maintain constant tension in the muscle as the muscle changes length.
This can occur only when a muscle's maximal force of contraction exceeds the total load on
the muscle. Isotonic muscle contractions can be either concentric (muscle shortens) or
eccentric (muscle lengthens).

Fatigue is used to indicate a degree of weariness. On a muscular level, fatigue posits the
reduced capacity of muscle fibres to produce force, even in the presence of motor neuron
excitation via either spinal mechanisms or electric pulses applied externally. Prior to
decreased force, when sustaining physically demanding tasks, alterations in the muscle
electrical properties take place. These alterations, termed myoelectric manifestation of
fatigue, can be assessed non-invasively with a pair of surface electrodes positioned
appropriately on the target muscle.
ii. Experiment

-By using
osilloscope

1. Connect the bridging conductors 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11 to the ES05.70.06 Vessel

Volume measurement module.

2. Ask the person to be measured to remove items such as a

watch.

3. Ask the person to lift the dumbbell at 5 kg weight, bend the

elbows.

4. To reduce skin resistance, wipe the flat part of the skin with
alcohol.

5. Attach the electrodes to the arm as shown in Figure 1 and connect the 5-conductor
cable as shown in the figure.
Figure 1 Electrode connection path.

6. Connect the 5-conductor cable to the connector on module

ES05.70.07.

7. Switch on the power.

8. On the LCD DISPLAY screen with the MODULE SELECT button on the ES05GK19
Main Module, change the module name to EMG MODE.

9. From the VOLT / DIV control, set CH1 and CH2 channels from 1 V / div, TIME / DIV
control to 500ms / div.

10. Isometric contraction measurement:

9.1.1. Check that the CH2 signal is stable. If not fixed, there is high resistance between
the skin and the electrode.

9.1.2. Hold the elbow by 90 degrees. The person should wait around 2 sec with 5kg
dumbbell. Then it can be left dumbbell. Indicate the signals generated in this sequence on
the figure below.

NOTE: If you have trouble seeing the signals on the oscilloscope screen, you can change
the small amount of the potentiometer on the pre-amplifier level.

Figure 2 CH1 input signal-CH2 output

signal.

10. Isotonic Contraction Measurement:

10.1.1. Check that the CH2 signal is stable. If not fixed, there is high resistance between
the skin and the electrode.

10.1.2. Hold the elbow by 90 degrees. The person should wait around 2 sec with 5kg
dumbbell. Then it can be left dumbbell. This process must be repeated 3 times. Indicate
the signals generated in this sequence on the figure below.

Figure 3 CH1 input signal-CH2 output

signal.

11. Muscle fatigue measurement:

11.1.1. Check that the CH2 signal is stable. If not fixed, there is high resistance between
the skin and the electrode.
11.1.2. Spread the elbow by 90 degrees. The person should hold and wait for 5kg dumbbells
until muscle fatigue occurs. Then it can be left dumbbell. Indicate the signals generated in
this sequence on the figure below.

Figure 4 CH1 input signal-CH2 output

signal.

12. Increase the amplifier gain from 100 to 200 by taking bridging conductor from 8 to 7.
Repeat steps 9 through 11 with the new gain.
-By using software

1. Repeat the first 7 steps of the previous

section.

2. Perform the following connection.

3. Turn on the DSO-2150 USB

program.

4. Change the VOLT / DIV and TIME / DIV settings to the accuracy of the signals to
be read.

5. Proceed in steps 9 and 12 of the previous section, and continue to perform the following
steps when the values appear on the computer screen.

6. Press the STOP button when you obtain the appropriate signal from the DSO-2150
USB program.

7. Save your graphics to the computer by selecting File → Save Image.

iii. Questions 1. Explain the source of signals detected by the
EMG electrodes.
The source of the emg signals are muscles. They are carrying
the electrical signals which is coming from the brain to move.
EMG is detecting that signals.

2. What does the term “motor unit recruitment” mean ?

The motor unit recruitment can be defined as the same

as the increase in voluntary muscle contraction force
and the successive activation of additional motor units.

3. Define skeletal muscle tonus.

The activity or tension of a

muscle is associated with its
physical properties, ie the active
resistance to stretching. In
skeletal muscle, tonus is due to
efferent innervation. A constant
slight stress state, known as
tonus, is used to hold the muscle
in a readiness state.