Automatic analysis of surface EMG (preliminary findings in healthy subjects and in patients with neurogenic motor diseases)

Supramaximal electrical stimulation of a motor nerve produces a full contraction of a muscle and the corresponding compound action potential can be recorded. Recent studies appear to support the view that all the motor units are activated during voluntary maximal contraction, at least in the tibialis anterior muscle. The compound action potential and the EMG interference pattern in the tibialis anterior are regarded as two different manifestations of the activation of all the motor units. A method has been developed which compares these EMG activities, by automatic analysis, in order to obtain useful parameters for clinical applications.