Using infrared imaging for assessment of muscular activity in the forearm of surgeons in the performance of laparoscopic tasks

Author(s):  
Ramon Sancibrian ◽  
Maria C Gutierrez-Diez ◽  
Carlos Redondo-Figuero ◽  
Jose R Llata ◽  
Jose C Manuel-Palazuelos

Surgeons working in laparoscopic surgery are subjected to hard working conditions because of the poor ergonomic characteristics of the workplace. The improvement in the working conditions requires the use of reliable techniques for the assessment of muscular activity. In this article infrared imaging is used and compared with electromyography for the evaluation of muscle activity in the performance of laparoscopic surgical tasks. Electromyography has been widely used for the evaluation of the electrical activity produced by the muscles in the performance of surgery. On the contrary, infrared imaging is an innovative technique that has not been sufficiently explored. An experimental evaluation was carried out using a thermography camera and recording the infrared images from volunteers in different tests. Pearson’s correlation was obtained between the electromyography and thermographic measurements in two stages: Endurance Stage (best value: ρ = 0.8401 with p < 0.01) and Surgical Task (best value: ρ  = 0.8309 with p < 0.01). The article demonstrates that infrared imaging is a valuable technique for the evaluation of muscle activity in laparoscopic surgery, and it can be compared with electromyography. The main advantages of infrared imaging are that it allows remote measurement and provides activity information in the whole area of interest. However, drawbacks such as delayed response of the infrared imaging due to thermal conductivity of the skin should be considered. Electromyography only provides information in the location of the electrodes, but it is a real-time response. For these reasons, the techniques complement each other.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nika Zolfaghari

The study of seated balance, specifically for the application of wheelchair users, has been an area of interest for quite some time. Unfortunately, most of the available studies to date have focused on upper limb and shoulder muscles, and little has been done analyzing the activity of trunk muscles (abdominal and back). For the purpose of this study, motorized rotational motion in the forward and backward directions at ±45 degrees was simulated, and the corresponding trunk muscle activity of nine healthy subjects was recorded by surface electromyography (EMG) for eight muscles, including an analysis on the effect of holding on to a harness for support, coupled with the presence of a visual input. The collected raw data was filtered, and the produced results illustrated that the muscle activity was greatest in the forward rotational direction, when the subject was holding on to a harness for support, with visuals present.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-25
Author(s):  
Martijn Boon ◽  
Christian H. Martini ◽  
Leon P. H. J. Aarts ◽  
Albert Dahan

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (9) ◽  
pp. 4942-4947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodolfo R. Llinás ◽  
Mikhail Ustinin ◽  
Stanislav Rykunov ◽  
Kerry D. Walton ◽  
Guilherme M. Rabello ◽  
...  

A spectroscopic paradigm has been developed that allows the magnetic field emissions generated by the electrical activity in the human body to be imaged in real time. The growing significance of imaging modalities in biology is evident by the almost exponential increase of their use in research, from the molecular to the ecological level. The method of analysis described here allows totally noninvasive imaging of muscular activity (heart, somatic musculature). Such imaging can be obtained without additional methodological steps such as the use of contrast media.


2005 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
pp. 2435-2448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fu-Zen Shaw ◽  
Yi-Fang Liao

Paroxysmal 5- to 12-Hz high-voltage rhythmic spike (HVRS) activities, which are accompanied by whisker twitching (WT), are found in Long Evans rats, but the function of these HVRS activities is still debated. In four major functional hypotheses of HVRS discharges, i.e., alpha tremor, attention/mu rhythm, idling/mu rhythm, and absence seizure, the first two hypotheses emphasize WT behavior in HVRS bouts. Whisker movement is primarily determined by activation of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. To clarify the role of WT in HVRS activities, simultaneous recording of the activities from the cortex and intrinsic/extrinsic and neck muscles were performed. Most HVRS bouts (68.8%) revealed no time-locked WT behavior in a 2-h recording session. In addition, WT primarily arose from active protraction due to activation of intrinsic muscles followed by passive retraction. A small portion of WT resulted from activation of both vibrissae muscles with dynamic frequency-dependent phase shifts. Onset of the rhythmic vibrissae EMG significantly lagged behind HVRS onset, and the mean duration of vibrissae muscle activity was one-third to a one-half of a HVRS bout. Moreover, a greater number of HVRS bouts were associated with a longer HVRS duration and higher oscillation frequency. Oscillation frequencies of HVRS activities without WT behavior were significantly lower than those with WT. Under peripheral sensory/motor blockade by xylocaine injection, oscillation frequencies of HVRS bouts significantly decreased, but no remarkable changes in the number or duration of HVRS bouts were observed. Compared with vibrissa muscle activity during WT and exploratory whisking, the duration of muscular activity in each cycle was apparently longer during whisking bouts. Based on these results, overemphasis of the role of WT on HVRS activities might not be appropriate. Instead, HVRS discharges may be associated with absence seizure or idling state. In addition, peripheral inputs, including WT, may elevate the oscillation frequency of HVRS bouts. Moreover, different muscular controls may exist between WT and whisking.


2020 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roope Sovelius ◽  
Maunu Mäntylä ◽  
Heini Huhtala ◽  
Juha Oksa ◽  
Rasmus Valtonen ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to determine the characteristics of cervical muscle activity in different head movements when using helmet mounted display in air combat maneuvering.METHODS: Cervical EMG was measured with eight F/A-18 pilots using the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) during air combat maneuvering. In-flight Gz acceleration and continuous head position were recorded. Muscular activity was compared between head movements in isolation and combined with torso movement. In addition, the effect of the direction of head movements and the use of head support of the ejection seat on muscle activity was determined.RESULTS: Muscular loading increased in the cervical flexors and extensors when using the torso during targeting beyond the field of vision in the neutral sitting posture; the difference was significant in the flexors, but activity levels were higher in the extensors. Cervical muscles are loaded to a lesser extent if the head is kept in a stable position during Gz loading. Muscular activity in the neck muscles was higher when the pilot was moving the head out of neutral posture rather than toward neutral posture. The use of the headrest as a support decreased muscle activity in the extensors, but resulted in higher activity in the flexor muscles.DISCUSSION: All analyzed conditions were significantly affected by an increase in Gz. An increase of muscle activity with torso movements is considered as a positive factor as it reflects maintained muscular support for the cervical spine. Presented results may be helpful when specific conditioning programs and cockpit ergonomics are developed for fighter pilots.Sovelius R, Mäntylä M, Huhtala H, Oksa J, Valtonen R, Tiitola L, Leino T. Head movements and neck muscle activity during air combat maneuvering. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(1):26–31.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Bourdin ◽  
Matteo Martini ◽  
Maria V. Sanchez-Vives

AbstractEvidence suggests that the sense of the position of our body parts can be surreptitiously deceived, for instance through illusory visual inputs. However, whether altered visual feedback during limb movement can induce substantial unconscious motor and muscular adjustments is not known. To address this question, we covertly manipulated virtual body movements in immersive virtual reality. Participants were instructed to flex their elbow to 90° while tensing an elastic band, as their virtual arm reproduced the same, a reduced (75°), or an amplified (105°) movement. We recorded muscle activity using electromyography, and assessed body ownership, agency and proprioception of the arm. Our results not only show that participants compensated for the avatar’s manipulated arm movement while being completely unaware of it, but also that it is possible to induce unconscious motor adaptations requiring significant changes in muscular activity. Altered visual feedback through body ownership illusions can influence motor performance in a process that bypasses awareness.


1986 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 375-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Drew ◽  
R. Dubuc ◽  
S. Rossignol

Recordings were made from single units in the medullary reticular formation (MRF) between AP-4.2 and AP-12.9 and from the midline to 3.7 mm lateral in chronically prepared, unrestrained cats walking on a treadmill. Recordings were made with rigid microelectrodes held in a microdrive, and reticulospinal neurons were identified by antidromic stimulation of their axons through microwires chronically implanted into the spinal cord at the L2 level. Electromyograms (EMGs) were recorded from flexor and extensor muscles of the fore- and hindlimbs as well as from back and neck muscles. In total, 295 cells were recorded from 40 penetrations in 4 cats; 252 of these cells were recorded from the more medial regions of the reticular formation encompassing the gigantocellular, magnocellular, and lateral tegmental fields; 38.5% of these (97/252) were antidromically identified from the spinal cord. The remaining 43 neurons (43/295) were recorded from a more lateral and ventral position. These medial and ventrolateral groups of neurons differed not only in position but also in aspects of their discharge during locomotion. Rank-ordered raster displays, triggered from the onset of each recorded muscle, were used to correlate neuronal and muscular activity. The discharge rate of 31% of the reticulospinal neurons (30/97) was modulated once or twice in each step cycle and was strictly related to one or more of the recorded EMGs (EMG-related neurons) on the basis of the pattern of discharge. The discharge of 33/97 (34%) of the neurons was modulated at the periodicity of the locomotor rhythm but could not be correlated with any of the recorded EMGs (locomotor-related cells), whereas the remaining 34/97 neurons (35%) were either silent, fired tonically, or were not related to the locomotor pattern (unrelated cells). Of the EMG-related neurons 27% were related to flexor muscles and the remaining 63% to extensor muscle activity. The discharge pattern of all except two of the flexor-related neurons was correlated with hindlimb muscle activity, whereas that of the extensor-related neurons was correlated almost equally with fore- and hindlimb muscles. Correlations were found with muscles lying both ipsilaterally and contralaterally to the site of the recordings. Although the locomotor-related neurons showed no preferential relation with any of the recorded EMGs, a comparison of the depth of modulation of their discharge measured from postevent histograms suggested that more of these cells were related to the forelimb than to the hindlimb.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco J. Pérez-Duarte ◽  
Francisco M. Sánchez-Margallo ◽  
Idoia Díaz-Güemes Martín-Portugués ◽  
Miguel A. Sánchez-Hurtado ◽  
Marcos Lucas-Hernández ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. e38810313468
Author(s):  
Carolina Carvalho Bortoletto ◽  
Fernanda Yukie Kobayashi ◽  
Lara Jansiski Motta ◽  
Raquel Agnelli Mesquita-Ferrari ◽  
Kristianne Porta Santos Fernandes ◽  
...  

Objective: Sleep bruxism (SB) is considered masticatory muscle activities that occur during sleep, which can interfere in stomatognathic system function. When treatment occurs earlier, most of the signs and symptoms can be prevented. However, there are few studies about treatment in early ages. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate muscle activity and bite force changes after massage therapy (MT) and the use of occlusal splints (OST) for children with SB. Methodology: Forty-eight children were divided into 4 groups after SB diagnosis, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s criteria: Group 1–without bruxism; Group 2–SB, MT treated; Group 3–SB, OST treated for 30 days; Group 4–SB, not treated.  Children were submitted to initial and final bite force (BF) evaluations and muscular activity, using a digital dynamometer and BiteStrip®, respectively. The results were computed and statistical analysis performed using SPSS 20.0 program, with a significant level of 95% (p ≤ 0.05). Results: Significant differences were statistically found in muscle activity in Group 3 (p = 0.003) and BF in both Groups 2 (p = 0.001) and 3 (p = 0.007). Conclusion: Results indicate that the use of OST led to a reduction in muscle activity and increase on BF in children with SB, whereas MT did not alter muscle activity, but provided an increase on BF in these children.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nika Zolfaghari

The study of seated balance, specifically for the application of wheelchair users, has been an area of interest for quite some time. Unfortunately, most of the available studies to date have focused on upper limb and shoulder muscles, and little has been done analyzing the activity of trunk muscles (abdominal and back). For the purpose of this study, motorized rotational motion in the forward and backward directions at ±45 degrees was simulated, and the corresponding trunk muscle activity of nine healthy subjects was recorded by surface electromyography (EMG) for eight muscles, including an analysis on the effect of holding on to a harness for support, coupled with the presence of a visual input. The collected raw data was filtered, and the produced results illustrated that the muscle activity was greatest in the forward rotational direction, when the subject was holding on to a harness for support, with visuals present.


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