Bagnoli emg system

Elbow flexion force was measured using a torque sensor (Model: TRS-500, Transducer Techniques, Temecula, CA, USA). The sensor was located in line with the center of the rotation of the active elbow joint. During MVC task, Grip strength was measured using a hand dynamometer (Jamar Plus+; Sammons Preston, Rolyon, Bolingbrook, IL). Surface EMG electrodes (Delsys 2.1 Single Differential Configuration, Delsys Inc., Boston, MA, USA) were placed on the biceps and FDS muscles bilaterally according to the European Recommendations for Surface Electromyography (29 ). The EMG signals were collected through a Bagnoli EMG system (Delsys Inc.), amplified 1000 times. All the collected signals were sampled at 1,000 Hz with a NI-DAQ card (Model: PCI-6229, National Instruments, Austin, TX, USA) and stored on a personal computer.

CSPs were examined during three different conditions while the subjects sustained a low-intensity isometric elbow extension contraction with the right upper limb by extending the elbow and pushing against a vertical handle. Surface EMG activity was recorded during all of the experimental conditions from the abductor pollicis brevis (APB), abductor digiti minimi (ADM), biceps brachii long head (BIC), triceps brachii lateral head (TRI), flexor carpai radialis (FCR), extensor carpi radialis (ECR), anterior deltoid (AD), and posterior deltoid (PD) muscles in the right upper limb. Surface EMG signals were recorded with single differential bar electrodes (Delsys Inc, MA, USA). The skin overlying each muscle was cleaned prior to affixing the electrode over the individual muscle belly, parallel with the orientation of the respective muscle’s fibers. All of the EMG signals were sampled at a frequency of 2,000 Hz. The signals were amplified and conditioned using a 16-channel Bagnoli EMG System (Delsys) with high- and low-pass cut-off frequencies of 20Hz and 500Hz, respectively, before being stored at a final gain of 1,000x with Spike2 software (CED, Cambridge, UK). A single common ground electrode was placed over the acromion process of the right side of the body.

Electromyographic (EMG) activity resulting from the TMS procedures was collected from the APB and ADM muscles of the dominant hand. A single differential detection electrode was placed over the muscle belly of each muscle. The skin overlying each muscle was cleaned and lightly abraded prior to affixing the electrode. A single common ground electrode was placed over the acromion process of the dominant side of the body. The signals were amplified and conditioned (Bagnoli EMG System, Delsys Inc. MA, USA) with high- and low-pass cut-off frequencies of 20 Hz and 1000 Hz, respectively, before being stored at a final gain of 2000x with Spike2 software (CED, Cambridge, UK) for subsequent analysis.

The sEMG recordings were made using a Bagnoli EMG system with DE-2.1 Single Differential Surface EMG sensors from Delsys, consisting of an 8-channel amplifier with an output voltage range of ±5 V (System noise (R.T.I) ). The sEMG sensor consists of two 10 mm long and 1 mm wide electrode contacts spaced 10 mm apart (Figure 4). The amplifier gain was set separately for each participant to 1 k or 10 k, maximizing the signal amplitude and avoiding amplifier saturation. The analogue signal was sampled with a frequency of 2000 Hz with a 16-bit (±10 V) ADC NI 9215 (Input noise ) using NI LabVIEW 2018. The digitized signal was stored on a computer for offline processing with MATLAB R2021a.

Surface electromyograms (EMGs) were recorded from the submental muscles (Bagnoli EMG system, manufactured by DELSYS). Electrodes were placed 1 cm posterior to the genu of the mandible over the midline suprahyoid muscle complex with an interelectrode distance of 3 cm. We also recorded EMGs from diaphragm, sternocleidomastoid muscles as inspiratory control muscles, a rectus abdominal muscles as expiratory control muscles, a medical oblique muscles and lateral oblique muscles (Figure 1). These signals were differentially amplified (Bioamp PowerLab) relative to a surface recording over the left zygomatic arch. An electrode over the right zygomatic arch served as the ground lead. The EMG signal was full wave rectified, and integrated in 50 ms intervals. The measurement was performed after confirming that the impedance test built in the electromyograph was cleared. The data measured from the electromyograph was A/D converted at a sampling frequency of 1 kHz and loaded into an analysis computer. The waveform analysis was carried out using myoelectric analysis software. The bandpass filter was set to between 10 and 500 Hz. At the peak of muscle activity, rest was taken as the zero reference.