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Interleaved neuromuscular electrical stimulation: Motor unit recruitment overlap
Author(s) -
Wiest Matheus J.,
Bergquist Austin J.,
Schimidt Helen L.,
Jones Kelvin E.,
Collins David F.
Publication year - 2017
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.25249
Subject(s) - tibialis anterior muscle , stimulation , common peroneal nerve , stimulus (psychology) , physical medicine and rehabilitation , torque , neuromuscular junction , motor unit , medicine , intensity (physics) , biomedical engineering , anatomy , physics , neuroscience , psychology , skeletal muscle , quantum mechanics , psychotherapist , thermodynamics
: In this study, we quantified the “overlap” between motor units recruited by single pulses of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) delivered over the tibialis anterior muscle (mNMES) and the common peroneal nerve (nNMES). We then quantified the torque produced when pulses were alternated between the mNMES and nNMES sites at 40 H z (“interleaved” NMES; iNMES). Methods : Overlap was assessed by comparing torque produced by twitches evoked by mNMES, nNMES, and both delivered together, over a range of stimulus intensities. Trains of iNMES were delivered at the intensity that produced the lowest overlap. Results : Overlap was lowest (5%) when twitches evoked by both mNMES and nNMES produced 10% peak twitch torque. iNMES delivered at this intensity generated 25% of maximal voluntary dorsiflexion torque (11 Nm). Discussion : Low intensity iNMES leads to low overlap and produces torque that is functionally relevant to evoke dorsiflexion during walking. Muscle Nerve 55 : 490–499, 2017