Estimating the progression of muscle fatigue based on dependence between motor units using high density surface electromyogram

In this study we have tested the hypothesis regarding the increase in synchronization with the onset of muscle fatigue. For this aim, we have investigated the difference in the synchronicity between high density surface electromyogram (sEMG) channels of the rested muscles and when at the limit of endurance. Synchronization was measured by computing and normalizing the mutual information between the sEMG signals recorded from the high-density array electrode locations. Ten volunteers (Age range: 21 and 35 years; Mean age = 26 years; Male = 6, Female = 4) participated in our experiment. The participants performed isometric dorsiflexion of their dominate foot at two levels of contraction; 40% and 80% of their maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) until task failure. During the experiment an array of 64 electrodes (16 by 4) placed over the TA parallel to the muscle fiber was used to record the HD-sEMG. Normalized Mutual Information (NMI) between electrodes was calculated using the HD-sEMG data and then analyzed. The results show that that the average NMI of the TA significantly increased during fatigue at both levels of contraction. There was a statistically significant difference between NMI of the rested muscle compared with it being at the point of task failure.