• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.73-77
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• 2017

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to measure muscle activities in the pectoralis major, the erector spinae, and the quadriceps femoris according to support surface states of arms and legs during plank exercise. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 21 healthy males in their 20s and their muscle activities at three states were measured as follows: The first state was where the support surface of arms and legs was stable. The second state was where only arms were unstable, and the third state was where only legs were unstable. Electromyography (EMG) was used to measure muscle activities. Pectoralis major, quadriceps femoris, and elector spinae were measured for muscle activities. RESULTS: The muscle activities in the pectoralis major were statistically high when arms were unstable. The muscle activities in the quadriceps femoris were statistically high when legs were unstable. The muscle activities in the erector spinae were higher when arms and legs were unstable compared to that at the stable support surface. No significant difference was revealed statistically when arms and legs were unstable. CONCLUSION: If the instability of arms and legs is employed during plank exercise, exercise on the upper and lower bodies or the erector spinae is expected to be more effective.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.167-174
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• 2021

Objective: Single leg bridge exercise (SLBE) improves trunk muscle activation and provides muscle stability by aligning joints related to posture. This preliminary study aimed to investigate the effects of SLBE on abdominal muscle activation in subacute stroke patients. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Fifteen subacute stroke patients (9 males, 6 females) voluntarily participated in this study. SLBE was performed on the affected side. Each individual patient performed an SLBE ten times in three sets and was asked to hold their position for 5 s. Muscles activity was recorded using a surface electromyography (EMG) system before and after the SLBE. A surface EMG system was used to analyze the muscle activity during general bridge exercise, including the rectus abdominis (RA), internal oblique (IO), and external oblique (EO) abdominal muscles. Results: Muscle activity of both EO and IO on the affected side significantly increased (p<0.05), whereas the muscle activity of the RA and the three muscles on the unaffected side did not show a significant difference. In addition, improvement in muscle asymmetry of the EO and IO showed a significant change after SLBE (p<0.05). Conclusions: SLBE is effective in activating the abdominal muscles of stroke patients on the affected side and is a helpful exercise intervention that activates the muscles to transform asymmetric abdominal muscles into symmetric patterns.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.57-69
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to know the effects of the bee venom pharmacopuncture on muscle activity and pain reception of trapezius and deltoid the upper limbs muscles. Methods : We allocated healthy volunteers into two groups. After having exercise with barbell for load to trapezius and deltoid, we measured sEMG(surface electromyography) and VAS(visual analogue scale). In a moment, inject bee venom pharmacopuncture and saline each group. After 30 minutes, we measured sEMG and VAS again. We compared before and after sEMG and VAS data. Results : On sEMG data, bee venom pharmacopuncture had effects on muscle fatigue on left trapezius, muscle fatigue and fatigue and recovery on right trapezius and both deltoid. On VAS data, values of bee venom pharmacopuncture decreased more than that of saline. Conclusions : These results show that bee venom pharmacopuncture have effects on muscle activity aid pain reception of trapezius and deltoid the upper limbs muscle. But further studies should be carried out to verify the exact effects of bee venom.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.39-48
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to describe the alteration of stretch reflex and electrical activity of lower leg muscle in cerebral palsy by the water temperature. We used ten cerebral palsy. Participants classified according to each group in $29^{\circ}C$, $32^{\circ}C$, $35^{\circ}C$ by the water temperature. All subjects participated 3 session, which at least 1 week between session. The test was measured continuously pre test, post-test by thermometer and surface electromyography(sEMG). The following results were obtained; 1. Superficial temperature were significantly decreased in $29^{\circ}C$(p<0.001) group but were significantly increased $32^{\circ}C$, $35^{\circ}C$ group(p<0.001). 2. Muscle stretch reflex were significantly decreased in $32^{\circ}C$(p<0.05) and $35^{\circ}C$(p<0.001) group. 3. Stretch-evoked EMG were significantly increased in $29^{\circ}C$ group(p<0.01). These results lead us to the conclusion that changes of stretch reflex and electrical activity of lower leg muscle in cerebral palsy were influenced by the water temperature. Therefore, a further direction of this study will be to provide more evidence that a moderate water temperature have an effect on muscle tonus in a patient with cerebral palsy.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.131-137
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare muscle activities in the frontal plane and scapular plane of the middle fiber and lower fiber of the trapezius muscle at different shoulder abduction angles. Methods: Twenty male and female students in their 20s participated in this study. Each subject maintained shoulder abduction at $75^{\circ}$, $90^{\circ}$, $125^{\circ}$, and $160^{\circ}$ in a standing position and repeated motions three times each in the frontal plane and the scapular plane. While maintaining the motions for 10 seconds in each posture, surface electromyography (EMG) was used to measure muscle activity of the middle fiber and lower fiber of the trapezius muscle. The collected EMG data were normalized using maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). Differences in muscle activity of the middle fiber and lower fiber of the trapezius muscles according to the angles at each plane were statistically processed using repeated measured analysis of variance, and an independent t-test was used to examine the differences between the two planes at each angle. Results: Muscle activity of the middle and lower trapezius during shoulder abduction in the frontal plane and scapular plane significantly increased as the angles increased (p<.05). However, muscle activity of the middle trapezius was significantly lower in the scapular plane than in the frontal plane for all shoulder abduction angles (p<.05). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that during shoulder abduction, angles should be different according to the goals, and for training during an acute phase or early phase for functional recovery, it is more efficient to perform the training in the scapular plane than in the frontal plane.

• 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.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.76-88
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• 2001

Back extension exercises have been used for rehabilitation of the injured low back, prevention of injury, and fitness training programs. However, excessive loading on low back can exacerbate existing structural weakness. The purpose of this study was to compare muscle activity of low back muscles during back extension exercises. Twenty healthy male subject s were evaluated. Electromyographic (EMG) activities of low back muscles at L1 and L5 level were recorded during seven different back extension exercises and two reference tasks by surface EMG and saved for data analysis. Reference tasks of lifting 20% and 40% of their body weight were included for comparison. The result were as follows: 1) Single-arm extension and single-leg extension exercises on quadruped position appeared to constitute a low-risk exercise for initial extensor strengthening. 2) When arm extension was combined with contralateral leg extension on quadruped position, EMG activities of low back muscles were increased. 3) EMG activity of low back muscles was highest during the trunk extension exercises on prone position. 4) EMG activities of low back muscles during arm and leg extension exercises on quadruped position were less than those of reference task of lifting 40% of their body weight. These result s have important implications for progressive back extensor muscle strengthening exercises in patients with back pain.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.17-23
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to assess activation and contribution of muscles of the elderly according to increased loading during the arm flexion extension resistance exercise. Surface electromyographic signals were acquired from biceps brachii, triceps brachii, deltoid posterior, pectoralis major and latissimmus dorsi to determine the difference of the activation of specific muscles between the elderly and young. Five elderly and five young males with no musculoskeletal disease volunteered for the study. Electromyographic activities in the muscles were measured during resistance exercise and normalized to the maximum EMG activity recorded in the maximal voluntary static contraction (MVC). Against the increased loading during arm flexion/extension resistance exercises, the young uses muscles evenly but the elderly uses one specific muscle frequently. Contribution of triceps brachii during extension and deltoid posterior during flexion was principal in the elderly.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.1-9
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• 2004

Most exercise for Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) has focused on selectively strengthening the vastus medialis oblique muscle (VMO). Although open chain knee extension exercises are effective for increasing overall quadriceps strength, they are not always indicated for PFPS rehabilitation. This study was designed to identify the effect of combined posture of lower extremity on Electromyographic (EMG) activity of the vastus lateralis muscle (VL) and VMO during static squat exercises. The subjects were twenty young adult males who had not experienced any knee injury and their Q-angle was within a normal range. They were asked to perform static squat exercises in five various postures using their lower extremities. The EMG activity of the VL and VMO were recorded in five exercises by surface electrodes and normalized by %MVC values derived from seated, isometric knee extensions. The normalized EMG activity levels (%MVC) of the VL and VMO for the five postures of the lower extremities were compared using one way ANOVA with repeated measures. Results of repeated measures of ANOVA's revealed that exercise 3 and exercise 5 produced significantly greater EMG activity of VMO/VL ratios than exercise 1 (p<.05). When the static squat exercise was combined with hip adduction and toes pointed outwardly, the EMG activity of VMO/VL rates was increased. The EMG activity of VMO/VL ratio was highest during static squat exercises performed on a decline squat. These results haveimportant implications for progressive and selective VMO muscle strengthening exercises in PFPS patients.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.9-19
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• 2022

In this study, a systematic review was conducted to analyze the method of applying sEMG to evaluate the swallowing function of the elderly at each stage of swallowing, and to help objectively measure the swallowing stage of the older adults in clinical practice. From 2011 to 2021, 7 studies that met the selection criteria were selected using Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science (WoS). As a result of this study, the older adults and adults were divided into an experimental group and a control group and the swallowing phase was analyzed using sEMG only for the older adults. sEMG was used to evaluate swallowing in the oral and pharyngeal stages, and the sEMG attachment site was attached to the swallowing muscle involved in each stage. The collected sEMG data were filtered using a bandpass-filter and a notch-filter, and were analyzed using RMS, amplitude, and maximum spontaneous contraction. In this study, it was found that sEMG can be used as a tool to objectively and quantitatively evaluate the swallowing function in stages. Therefore, it is expected that this study will activate various studies that incorporate sEMG to evaluate the swallowing function in stages.