PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

N P Schumann

Publications and source records attributed to N P Schumann.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

[Quantitative topographic characterization of the myoelectric activity distribution of the masseter muscle: mapping of spectral EMG parameters].

A new method for quantitative characterization of myoelectrical masseter activity distribution by mapping of spectral EMG-parameters is described. The surface electromyograms of M. masseter were monopolarly recorded (16 channels). On the basis of registered EMG intervals (512 ms) the spectral EMG power of several frequency bands was calculated (Fast Fourier Transformation). The spectral EMG parameters between the 16 electrode positions were estimated by linear interpolation (4-nearest neighbours algorithm). Afterwards the spectral EMG parameters were fitted in a grey-tone or colour scale with 10 intervals. The so obtained EMG activity maps ("EMG-Maps") permit a quantitative-topographic characterization of myoelectrical masseter activity during different functional load procedures. The frequency range which is to consider in masseter surface-EMG investigations encloses frequencies between 15 and 500 Hz. The topography of EMG activation pattern of M. masseter is only described in a comprehensive manner when the electrode array consists of 16 electrodes and more. During defined motor tasks like clenching with controlled forces the reproducibility of EMG-Maps which respect to the topography of EMG activity pattern is very high. The absolute values of spectral EMG power as well as power changes of selected band ranges during clenching correlate to the extent of chewing forces.

Adult

[Mapping spectral EMG parameters of the masseter muscle in normal probands under defined loads].

In 20 healthy volunteers 16-channel surface electromyograms were monopolarly recorded from the right and left masseter muscle during defined functional conditions (force-constant bite, right and left hand side, 196, 333, 530 N chewing force, during a compensation of a load directed from a frontal or a lateral position to the mandible (20, 49, 69 N), during rest position of the mandible). The EMG curves were quantified by the calculation of spectral EMG-parameters (FFT). With respect to the muscle a topographic oriented representation of the myoelectrical activity was realised by a mapping of spectral EMG-parameters. The monopolarly recorded EMG activities significantly differed between the 16 electrode positions (topographic EMG distribution pattern). During the several examination conditions of the masseter muscle different topographic distribution pattern of the myoelectrical activity were found. Moreover, the total EMG power between the muscle functions differed too. The level of the load influenced the spectral EMG power as well as, partly, the topographic EMG distribution pattern.

Adult

[Control of isometric muscle contraction in muscle hypotonia of central origin: EMG mapping analysis].

Electromyographic and mechanographic investigations in patients with muscular hypotonia, which is, for instance, a side-effect after stereotactic treatment of tremor syndromes, permit the presumption that in this sensomotor open-loop situation the decreased muscular resistance to stretching during isometric contraction (initial stiffness) is caused by changes of muscular innervation pattern. Probably, the innervation pattern during tonic activity is changed by a shift of a more tonic motoneurone behaviour to motoneurone activities with predominantly phasic characteristics. In 17 controls and 4 patients with muscular hypotonia caused by stereotactic lesions of VIM area (treatment of tremor syndromes) the EMG of right and left side forearm flexors (especially the activity of the M. biceps brachii) was investigated by a sophisticated, topographically oriented 16-channel-surface-EMG-technique ("EMG-Mapping") during slight isometric contraction. EMG-Maps of forearm flexors (especially of M. biceps brachii) in patients with centrally evoked muscular hypotonia demonstrate that in these open-loop conditions the motor control is changed. For this the reason could be a shift of the activated motor units from a predominantly static to a more phasic functional behaviour. The latest results on muscular activation processes in cats support this presumption.

Adult

[Quantification of artefacts in surface EMG by validating the lower frequency limit in clinico-physiologic studies].

The surface-EMG becomes more and more important because computer assisted analysing systems can be applied. The occurrence of artefacts makes it very difficult to compare several recorded EMG channels with each other. In this study a frequency related quantification of movement artefacts and ECG-related influences on the EMG is carried out to select a suitable lower cut-off frequency for surface-EMG investigations. In 764 monopolar surface-EMG-recordings of the neck and back muscles the solely artefact-caused part of EMG-segments was analysed and quantified by means of modelling methods.

Adult

[Methodologic studies in dynamic EMG mapping based on the Hilbert transformation].

On the basis of Discrete Hilbert Transformation spectral parameters for dynamic EMG analysis can be introduced. Within analysis intervals which are used in the same manner as in spectral analysis, the momentary power of EMG frequency bands can be computed as time series of the same interval duration. A close connection exists between momentary power and the current phenomenology of power spectral analysis because the momentary power of a defined frequency band can be seen as the exact dynamic equivalent of the corresponding mean power value deduced from the power spectrum. A multichannel EMG recording (greater than or equal to 16 channels) makes the representation of the topographical distribution of the spectral parameter by a coloured map possible. Additionally, the momentary power can be used to calculate map sequences. In this way, changes of EMG activity can be quantified by map sequences of an arbitrary time resolution. By calculation of momentary frequency via DHT an artefact detection scheme for ECG interference can be suggested. A completion of this methodology can be carried out by applications of adaptive filtration procedures. Using this concept of EMG processing, a new and common methodical basis of EMG power spectral analysis can be introduced.

Brain Mapping

Characteristics of heart rate fluctuations and respiratory movements during orienting, passive avoidance and flight-fight behaviour in rabbits.

In the present study different heart rate patterns were demonstrated to accompany flight-fight behaviour, orienting behaviour and passive avoidance in rabbits. Flight-fight behaviour was characterized by markedly increased heart rate and diminished overall heart rate variability. The effect was mediated by vagal inhibition and beta-adrenergic activation in a type-specific relation. Orienting behaviour was accompanied by a smaller heart rate increase and the exaggeration of slow heart rate fluctuations. The latter effect was absent during beta-adrenergic blockade suggesting a behaviourally provoked beta-adrenergic activation. Single beta-adrenergic blockade did not change the characteristics of the heart rate fluctuations at rest. During passive avoidance a vagally mediated heart rate deceleration was followed by a slow heart rate return toward the initial heart rate level. This level was not reached during beta-adrenergic blockade. The enhanced overall heart rate variability during passive avoidance was mainly caused by strengthened respiratory-induced heart rate fluctuations and, furthermore, by exaggerated slow rhythmical heart rate fluctuations. The latter effect was not observed during beta-adrenergic blockade and is referred to as an orienting component within passive avoidance. Three individual behavioural types may be differentiated in rabbits 'Weisses Gross-Silber' by stable behavioural characteristics i.e. spontaneous motor activities, preferred postures at rest and coping behaviour. The results of the present study suggest that different neurovegetative reaction types, i.e. dominating beta-adrenergic or vagal activation are correlated with stable behavioural characteristics, especially in terms of preferring active or passive coping behaviour, respectively.

Animals

Heart rate fluctuations in rabbits during different behavioural states.

Heart rate fluctuations (HRF) were investigated in 18 adult female rabbits (Weisses Grosssilber) in chronical experiments at rest, during motor activity, passive and active avoidance. Pharmacological blockades of the neurovegetative transmission were used to determine the characteristics of neurovegetative mediation during the behavioural states examined. Mean heart rate was always increased during vagal blockade and decreased during beta-adrenergic blockade. At rest the HRF in rabbits are mainly vagally mediated. Vagal blockade reduced the overall heart rate variability by more than 50%. Vagal blockade did not abolish respiratory heart rate fluctuations. If the mean respiratory frequency is greater than half of the mean heart rate frequently occurring in rabbits, the respiratory HRF are generated not synchronously with respiration but in a slower frequency range according to the physiologic effect of "cardiac aliasing". The movement related heart rate increase was absent if the movements were performed during combined beta adrenergic and vagal blockade. The heart rate reaction during passive avoidance was characterized by a heart rate deceleration abolished by vagal blockade. Respiratory HR were increased. Furthermore, the heart rate was returned to the previous mean level and the slow HRF not induced by respiration increased, mediated by beta adrenergic activation. Vagal blockade and beta adrenergic blockade diminished the heart rate acceleration and reduced the overall heart rate variability by more than 50% during active avoidance. Combined vagal and beta-adrenergic blockade fully abolished the heart rate acceleration effect during active avoidance. The ratio of the vagal to sympathetic reaction components differed in behavioural types.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists

Personality and quantified neuromuscular activity of the masticatory system in patients with temporomandibular joint dysfunction.

Patients suffering from temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome (TMJS) and healthy volunteers were examined by means of MMPI questionnaire and electromyography (masseter, anterior temporal and anterior digastric muscles) at rest and during natural chewing. In response to mental load (arithmetic chain task) TMJS patients showed an increase in postural activity and partly rhythmical short augmentations above the mean level of this activity. Chewing potentials were considerably diminished in patients compared with controls. There was evidence for neurotic disorders in the patients MMPI (neurotic triad: higher scores on hypochondria, depression, hysteria). Significant differences (multivariate variance and discriminant analysis: P less than 0.001) between patients and controls were found both in the group with psychic signs (MMPI scales) and in the group of quantitative electromyographic parameters. However, a sufficient discrimination was only obtained by a combination of both parameter groups. The results show that probably psychic dynamics, as well as the structure of neuromuscular activity within the masticatory system, are important in the aetiopathogenesis of TMJS.

Adolescent

[Neuroautonomic organization of cardiac rhythm and of nonrhythmic oscillations in the frequency of cardiac contractions and respiration].

In 25 chronic adult rabbits, the functional organization of neurally mediated short-term rhythms and patterns of the heart rate (HR) were investigated. The respiration-unrelated arrhythmia seems to be vagally mediated only, being abolished with atropine. The respiration-related arrhythmia exists not only within the range of respiratory frequency but also in lower frequencies as discovered by spectral and coherence analysis. During motor activity, there is a systematic correlation among increasing premotor, motor and amygdaloid multispike activities, increasing HR and depressed HR-rhythms with limbic initiation of motor and concomitant autonomic patterns, "Immobile confrontations" alone produces vagally induced HR-decrease and increased amplitudes of vagal HR-rhythms with a concomitant cortical multispike depression, a mirror image of the autonomic patterns after nociceptive stimulation.

Action Potentials