• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.41-47
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• 2007

This paper suggested the best work conditions including short break time and the number of mouse clicks on the computer work for the prevention of MSDs on VDT work. Fatigue measures included EMG based parameters. The short break time conditions are grouped into 7, 15, and 30 seconds after every work for 10 min and the number of mouse clicks are divided into 10, 20, and 30 clicks/min. The result of the ANOVA of the shift value of %MVC(Maximum Voluntary Contraction) showed the following: 1) There was a considerable difference as regards to the break time except the number of mouse clicks on the upper trapezius muscle(p$<$0.05). The best conditions were shown in 15 sec after every 10 min and 30 clicks/min. 2) There were considerable differences as regards to the number of mouse clicks except the break time on the extensor digitorum muscle and extensor carpi ulnaris muscle(p$<$0.05). The best conditions were shown in 7 sec after every 10min and 10 clicks/min.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2019

[Purpose] The combined effect of different types of post-exercise treatment has not been fully explored. We investigated the effect of combined cold water immersion (CWI) and compression garment (CG) use after maximal eccentric exercise on maximal muscle strength, indirect muscle damage markers in the blood, muscle thickness, and muscle soreness score 24 h after exercise. [Methods] Ten men performed two trials (CWI + CG and CON) in random order. In the CWI + CG trial, the subjects performed 15 min of CWI (15℃), followed by wearing of a lower-body CG for 24 h after exercise. In the CON trial, there was no post-exercise treatment. The exercise consisted of 6 × 10 maximal isokinetic (60°·s^-1) eccentric knee extensions using one lower limb. The maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and maximal isokinetic (60°·s^-1) strength during knee extension, as well as the indirect muscle damage markers, were evaluated before exercise and 24 h after exercise. [Results] The maximal muscle strength decreased in both trials (p < 0.001), with no difference between them. The exercise-induced elevation in the myoglobin concentration tended to be lower in the CWI + CG trial than in the CON trial (p = 0.060). The difference in the MVC, maximal isokinetic strength, muscle thickness, and muscle soreness score between the trials was not significant. [Conclusion] CWI followed by wearing of a CG after maximal eccentric exercise tended to attenuate the exercise-induced elevation of indirect muscle damage markers in the blood.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.23-32
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• 2017

PURPOSE: Flexibility and range of motion are very important factors in sports performance, rehabilitation, and musculoskeletal pain. The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of cupping therapy on flexibility, muscle activity, and pain threshold of hamstring muscle compared to passive stretching in healthy subjects. METHODS: Thirty healthy subjects were randomly assigned in a crossover design to cupping therapy and passive stretching. Subjects were tested to compare their effects according to the intervention such as Passive range of motion (PROM) (straight leg raising) and active range of motion (AROM). And algometer (pain) testing and MVC assessment using EMG were performed as dependent variables. RESULTS: The cupping therapy group and passive stretching group showed significant differences in all variables including PROM (p=.00, p=.00), AROM (p=.00, p=.03), Pain Threshold (p=.03, p=.08), Semitendinosus MVC (p=.01, p=.00), and Biceps femoris MVC (p=.01, p=.16). There were no significant differences between the two groups in all variables. CONCLUSION: These findings of this study suggested that cupping therapy has as much positive effect on flexibility, pain threshold, and muscle contraction as passive stretching. Also, it is more convenient and easier to work on patients than passive stretching. Therefore, cupping therapy should be considered as another option to treat range of motion, pain, and muscle activity in the clinical field.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.109-128
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• 2003

This study tested whether repeated measurement of median frequency (MDF)-related variables could express the muscle power changes during a 12-week DeLome strengthening program, by using consecutive overlapping FFT (Fast Fourier transformation) and integrated EMG (IEMG) from surface EMG data for isometric and isotonic exercise. To evaluate the effect of training, the following were recorded every 3 weeks for the elbow flexors and knee extensors of 5 healthy male volunteers: MVC, lRM, limb circumference, and surface EMG during isometric MVC or isotonic contraction at 10RM load. From the EMG data, IEMG and variables from a regression analysis between MDF and time were obtained. MVC, lRM, IEMG, and initial MDF increased linearly over the training period. The fatigue index and slope of the regression line increased temporarily until the 6th week and decreased thereafter. From these results, there appeared to be enhanced neural recruitment of fast twitch fibers in the first 6 weeks and continued enhancement in the recruitment and hypertrophy of fast twitch fibers, which led to increased fatigue resistance, over the last 6 weeks. Accordingly, the MDF and IEMG analysis technique could demonstrate the effect of the program detected significant changes in both isometric and isotonic contractions. EMG analysis methods can be used to estimate the electrophysiological and histological changes in skeletal muscles during a strengthening program.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.349-354
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• 2018

Human beings have made remarkable advances in medical technology as well as technological advances. However, as was the case in the past, incurable diseases still exist: temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ). The diagnosis of the Korean medical staff, currently called a "medical advance," is adhering to the outdated patient's comments, diagnosis using a doctor's auditory diagnosis and a ruler, and diagnosis of X-ray imaging. Therefore, it is important to have accurate patient symptoms, to have a doctor's own diagnosis and experience, to increase the number of diagnoses due to the severity of the symptoms, and to cover the costs of medical care. To solve this problem, the core conductive signal generated from the bridge was quantified through %MVC. Quantified EMG will be assessed and compared with Cortex to establish a jaw joint condition evaluation criterion.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.1641-1648
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• 2017

Many researchers had examined the validity of using the high-to-low ratio between two fixed frequency band amplitudes (H/L-FFB) from the surface electromyography of a face and body as the first spectral index to assess muscle fatigue. Despite these studies, the disadvantage of this index is the lack of a criterion for choosing the optimal border frequency. We tested the potential of using the high-to-low ratio between two signal spectral moments (H/L-SSM), without fixed border frequencies, to evaluate muscle fatigue and predict endurance time ($T_{end}$), which was determined when the subject was exhausted and could no longer follow the fixed contraction cycle. Ten healthy participants performed five sets of voluntary isotonic contractions until they could only produce 10% and 20% of their maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). The $T_{end}$ values for all participants were $138{\pm}35s$ at 10% MVC and $69{\pm}20s$ at 20% MVC. Changes in conventional spectral indices, such as the mean power frequency (MPF), Dimitrov spectral index (DSI), H/L-FFB, and H/L-SSM, were extracted from surface EMG signals and were monitored using the initial slope computed every 10% of $T_{end}$ as a statistical indicator and compared as a predictor of $T_{end}$. Significant correlations were found between $T_{end}$ and the initial H/L-SSM slope as computed over 30% of $T_{end}$. In conclusion, initial H/L-SSM slope can be used to describe changes in the spectral content of surface EMG signals and can be employed as a good predictor of $T_{end}$ compared to that of conventional spectral indices.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.157-166
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• 2019

Objective: This study examined the effects of stimulating fingertip temperature on the patterns of force sharing and stability properties during multi-finger force production tasks. Method: 9 adult subjects (male: 3, female: 6, age: $26.11{\pm}4.01yrs$, height: $169.22{\pm}5.97cm$, weight: $61.44{\pm}11.27kg$) participated in this study. The experiment consisted of three blocks: 1) maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) task, 2) single-finger ramp task to quantify enslaving (i.e., unintended force production by non-task fingers), and 3) 12 trials of multi-finger steady-state force production task at 20% MVC. There were three temperature conditions including body-temperature (i.e., control condition), $40^{\circ}C$, and $43^{\circ}C$, and the stimulation was given to the index finger only for all experimental conditions. Results: There were no significant differences in the MVC forces, enslaving, and the accuracy of performance during the steady-state task between the conditions. However, the share of stimulated index finger force increased with the index fingertip temperature, while the share of middle finger force decreased. Also, the coefficient of variation of both index and middle finger forces over repetitive trials increased with the index fingertip temperature. Under the framework of the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) hypothesis used to quantify indices of multi-finger synergies (i.e., stability property) stabilizing total force during the steady-state task, the two variance components within the UCM analysis increased together with the fingertip temperature, while no changes in the synergy indices between the conditions. Conclusion: The current results showed that fingertip temperature stimulation only to index finger does not affect to muscle force production capability of multi-finger, independence of individual fingers, and force production accuracy by the involvement of all four fingers. The effect of fingertip temperature on the sharing pattern and force variation may be due to diffuse reflex effects of the induced afferent activity on alpha-motoneuronal pools. However, the unchanged stability properties may be the reflection of the active error compensation strategies by non-stimulated finger actions.

• International Journal of Fuzzy Logic and Intelligent Systems
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.277-282
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• 2015

Braincomputer interface (BCI) technology is making advances in the field of humancomputer interaction (HCI). To improve the BCI technology, we study the changes in the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals for six levels of grip strength: 10%, 20%, 40%, 50%, 70%, and 80% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). The measured EEG data are categorized into three classes: Weak, Medium, and Strong. Features are then extracted using power spectrum analysis and multiclass-common spatial pattern (multiclass-CSP). Feature datasets are classified using a support vector machine (SVM). The accuracy rate is higher for the Strong class than the other classes.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.21-36
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• 1979

Static muscle contractions when prolonged or frequently repeated result in discomfort, fatigue, and musculosketal injuries. An analytic and quantitative model has been developed in order to expand the working knowledge on muscle fatigue. In this paper, three Markov models of muscle fatigue are developed. These models are based on motor unit fatigue-recovery characteristics obtained from information on motor unit behavior as it relates to fatigue and graded exertions. Three successively more realistic models are developed that involve: (1) homogeneous motor units with intensity-dependent fatigue rates and state-independent recovery rates (the HMSI model); (2) homogeneous motor units, intensity-dependent fatigue rates and state-dependent recovery rates (the HMSD model); and (3) non-homogeneous motor units (i.e., Type S and Type F), intensity-dependent fatigue rates and state-dependent recovery rates (the HMSD model). The result indicate that a simple stochastic model provide a means to analyze the complex nature of muscle fatigue in sequential static exertions.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.67 no.1
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• pp.124-130
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• 2018

The EMG amplitude estimator, which has been investigated as an indicator of muscle force, is of high relevance not only in biomechanical studies but also more and more in clinical applications. This paper presents a new approach to estimate surface EMG amplitude by using the mean spike and mean turn amplitude(MSA and MTA) variables. Surface EMG signals, a total of 198 signals, were recorded from biceps brachii muscle over the range of 20-80%MVC isometric contraction and performance of the MSA and MTA variables applied to amplitude estimation of the EMG signals were investigated. To examine the performance, a SNR(signal-to-noise ratio) was computed from each amplitude estimate. The results of the study indicate that MSA and MTA amplitude estimations with first order whitening filter and 300[ms]-350[ms] moving average window length are optimal and show better performance(mean SNR improvement of 6%-15%) than the most frequently used variables(ARV and RMS).