• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.85-90
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to find the difference in muscle firing rate between each muscle according to the knee angle with the quadriceps femoris which is a representative action muscle of the lower extremity. Seven normal healthy subjects were recruited. The median frequency (MDF) of muscle contraction was recorded from vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and rectus femoris muscles using the surface EMG, in 5 seconds, during maximal isometric knee extension. The data were analyzed by the two-way repeated ANOVA. The results of the study were as follows: 1) median frequency of muscle contraction was significantly higher at the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and rectus femoris in descending order. 2) median frequency of muscle contraction was significantly higher at the $30^{\circ}$, $60^{\circ}$, and $90^{\circ}$ in descending order. Consequently, muscle recruitment at the knee decreases the EMG activity of the lengthened muscle. This study suggests that the change in EMG activity at different muscle lengths resulted in affecting the muscle firing rate during the knee extension.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2003

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to summarize the effect of stretch stimulus on muscle contraction facilitation. Methods : Some studies of the stretch reflex. ${\gamma}-motor$ system, and the effect of stretch stimulus on muscle activation were reviewed. Results : To facilitate muscle contraction, before the movement is started, the prime mover is in stretched position. The patient must be instructed to occur voluntary muscle contraction after quick stretching. It elicits the functional stretch reflex to produce a more powerful and functional contraction. The intensity of muscle contraction depends on two ways. One is firing rate of ${\alpha}-motor$ neuron by sensory information from the periphery induced in stretched position and stretch reflex. The other is excitation level of the cortical motor area and the corresponding motor neurons. Conclusions: To activate central nervous system and to increase firing rate of ${\alpha}-motor$ neuron. the therapist should apply quick stretch for the patient with stretched position and the patient should make voluntary muscle contraction.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.335-342
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• 1988

In this paper, we proposed a new algorithm for EMG low frequency analysis. Through the power spectrum analysis of Gaussian's, Gamma's and Erlang's PDF(probability density function) based on the proposed algorithm, the proper PDF of IPI (inter pulse interval) representing the firing rate of muscle was suggested. In order to verify the proposed algorithm EMG signals of masseter and biceps muscle were detected by surface electrode and its power spectrum analysis was performed. The experimental results are compared with the computer simulaiton. As a result, the masseter muscle's IPI was fitted by Gamma PDF, having a 10Hz fundamental frequency including n(1+\ulcornerfp high harmnic frequency on 10% MVC(maximum voluntary contaraction). And the biceps muscle's IPI was fitted by Gaussian PDF, also it have a 14Hz fundamental frequency.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.339-350
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• 1989

Electrophysiological effects of ammonia was studied in the isolated superfused sinus node and atrial muscle cells of the rabbit heart. No significant changes were observed in the overshoot potential (05), maximum diastolic potential (MDP), and action potential amplitude (APA) of the sinus node cells following superfusion with 3.0 mM ammonia, fifty times upper limit of the normal human plasma level. However the action potential duration (APD) of sinus node cells were significantly prolonged after superfusion with 0.6 mM ammonia for 20 min or with 1.2 and 3.0 mM ammonia for 5 minutes. Ammonia in all the concentrations tested decreased the rate of spontaneous firing (RSF) from the sinus node cells. After superfusion of sinus node cells with 0.3 mM ammonia for 20 min, the RSF significantly decreased from 20 min to 25 min after onset of superfusion while a significant decrement in the RSF was observed from 7 min to 30 min following superfusion with 3.0 mM ammonia for S min. On the other hand, the effects of ammonia on the action potential of the rabbit atrial muscle cell were much similar to those on pacemaker cells except that the atrial cell was generally less sensitive to ammonia. The results suggest that ammonia may cause changes in the action potential of the rabbit cardiac cells by the direct action, and that the cardiac effects of ammonia are generally opposite to those of glycine.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.293-304
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• 1996

The purpose of this study was to investigate the peak electromyographic activity(EMG) and time intervals in firing sequence of Anterior temporalis(TA) and Masseter(MM) on clenching, the number of tender points in the head and neck muscles, the occlusal contact state on clenching, and their relationship. 78 patients with Temporomandibular Disorders(TMDs) participated and were classified into articular or muscular group by clinical signs and symptoms. BioEMG$\textregistered$ of integrated masticatory function analyzer, Biopak$\textregistered$ system(Bioresearch Inc., USA), was used to measure EMG and related items, and T- Scan$\textregistered$(Tekscan, USA), computerized occlusal analyser, was used to record occlusal contact state on maximum voluntary clenching. EMG and occlusal contact were synchronously recorded and analysed with SAS Statistical program. The results of this study were as follows : 1. In total subjects, EMG of TA was lower than that of MM in articular group but in muscular group, vice versa, As a result, the ratio TA to MM was significantly different between the two groups. no significant differece. 3. The number and force of occlusal contact were more in articular group, but there was no significant difference in Total Left-Right statistics(TLR) between the two groups. 4. In unilaterally affected subjects for muscle function, no significant difference was observed between the affected side and the contralateral side in articular group, but in muscular group, the item of the number of tender points showed significant difference. However, for occlusal contact items, contact force in articular group shows significant difference between the two sides. 5. Rate of coincidence of the first firing side of TA with affected side or preferred chewing side was higher and not different between the two groups, but no significant correlation was showed between the first firing side and the first occlusal contact side.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.12-15
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• 2002

Background : Changes in firing pattern and in the recruitment order of single motor unit(MU) have been claimed to be characteristic of central motor lesions, and a reduced firing rate was found in upper motor neuron lesions. But these findings have been rarely studied before in Korea, so we studied initial MU recruitment pattern in stroke patients with hemiparesis. Methods : We studied six patients(3 men and 3 women) whose mean age was $60.6{\pm}7.4$ years. A mean $20.6{\pm}16.2$ months had elapsed since the stroke. To compare the initial MU activation patterns in proximal and distal segments of paretic limb with their contalateral unaffected counterparts, we studied the onset and recruitment intervals in biceps brachii(BB) and first dorsal interossei(FDI) muscles in paretic and healthy arms. In a single muscle we examined from 5 to 10 individual MUs. And in a single motor unit, both the onset interval and the recruitment interval was examined. Results : The mean onset interval in paretic limb was significantly(p<0.05) longer than unaffected limb at proximal and distal location: BB $118.5{\pm}17.8$ msec vs $96.1{\pm}8.3$ msec(n=58); FDI $125.8{\pm}16.7$ msec vs $101.5{\pm}17.2$ msec(n=38). The mean recruitment interval in paretic limb was also significantly(p<0.05) longer than unaffected limb: BB $87.7{\pm}14.9$ msec vs $73.4{\pm}11.5$ msec(n=53); FDI $96.3{\pm}16.4$ msec vs $87.7{\pm}14.1$ msec(n=38). Conclusion : The first recruited MU had a lower baseline firing rate and the second recruited motor unit potential appeared earlier in paretic than in healthy muscles. And these findings may explain one of the reasons for paresis in patients with stroke.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.219-230
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• 1988

The effect of glycine, structurally the most simple amino acid was investigated on the electrophysiological characteristics of the isolated superfused atrial muscle and sinus node cells of the rabbit heart. Superfusion of the sinus node cell with glycine solution (3, 5 and 8 mM) produced concentration-dependent increments of OS (overshoot potential) and MDP (maximum diastolic potential). Generally action potential amplitude increased as a result of greater increment of OS than that of MDP. The changes in action potential of the sinus node cell peaked in $7{\sim}10{\;}minutes$ after onset of superfusioin. On the contrary to the response to intravenously administered glycine, the rate of spontaneous firing of sinus node cell was invariably increased following superfusion with glycine. Action potential duration manifested as $APD_{60}$ (time to 60% repolarization) was significantly shortened by glycine. And the electrophysiological effects of glycine on the atrial muscle cell were similar to that on the sinus node cells. The results of present study suggest that glycine can exert direct effects on the atrial muscle and sinus node cells of the rabbit heart.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.17-29
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• 1986

The present study was carried out to observe the effect of triiodothyronine on heart, one of the target organ of thyroid hormone. There are many reports that tachycardia, arrythmia, and agumentation of sodium, potassium pump activity are caused in hyperthyroid animal. To examine these cardiac positive chronotropic effects on sinoatrial (SA) node and atrial muscle, hyperthyroid state was induced experimentally by the injecion of 3,3',5-1-triiodothyronine $(T_3)$ in $3{\sim}6$ month-old rabbits. Then intracellular recordings by inserting glass microelectrode into cell were obtained in SA node and atrial muscle. The results can be summarized as follows : 1) Heartbeat was increased from $169.6{\pm}28.0\;to\;264.2{\pm}18.0$ beats per minute, while body weight was decreased to 68f of the initial body weight (Day 1). 2) In experimental group, the duration of action potential at 80% repolarization was decreased from $148.0{\pm}29.1\;to\;107{\pm}13.6msec$. This suggested the increase heartbeat. 3) The firing rate in hyperthyroid group markedly reduced under the 15 mM potassium Tyrode (p<0.005). 4) In hyperthyroid group, depolarization of atrial muscle cell was lowered significantly in 15 mM (p<0.05), 20 mM (p<0.05) potassium Tyrode solution. 5) Sodium-potassium pump activities in experimental group were higher than those in control group in both SA node (p<0. 1) and atrial muscle (p<0.025). 6) In lower concentration of $MnCl_2$, the excitability of SA node in hyperthyroid group was decreased more than that in control group. Effective inhibitory dose $(ID_{50})$ as 0.6 mM in hyperthyroid statd and 1.1 mM in control group.