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Muscle fiber velocity and electromyographic signs of fatigue in fibromyalgia
Author(s) -
KlaverKrÓl Ewa G.,
Rasker Johannes J.,
Henriquez Nizare R.,
Verheijen Wilma G.,
Zwarts Machiel J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.23382
Subject(s) - electromyography , biceps , muscle fatigue , nerve conduction velocity , fibromyalgia , medicine , motor unit , physical medicine and rehabilitation , motor unit recruitment , muscle contraction , cardiology , anatomy
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a disorder of widespread muscular pain. We investigated possible differences in surface electromyography (sEMG) in clinically unaffected muscle between patients with FM and controls. Methods: sEMG was performed on the biceps brachii muscle of 13 women with FM and 14 matched healthy controls during prolonged dynamic exercises, unloaded, and loaded up to 20% of maximum voluntary contraction. The sEMG parameters were: muscle fiber conduction velocity (CV); skewness of motor unit potential (peak) velocities; peak frequency (PF) (number of peaks per second); and average rectified voltage (ARV). Results: There was significantly higher CV in the FM group. Although the FM group performed the tests equally well, their electromyographic fatigue was significantly less expressed compared with controls (in CV, PF, and ARV). Conclusion: In the patients with FM, we clearly showed functional abnormalities of the muscle membrane, which led to high conduction velocity and resistance to fatigue in electromyography. Muscle Nerve 46: 738–745, 2012