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Dynamical analysis of neuromuscular transmission jitter
Author(s) -
Gilchrist James M.,
Perrone Michael,
Ross John
Publication year - 1995
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.880180703
Subject(s) - neuromuscular transmission , jitter , series (stratigraphy) , transmission (telecommunications) , noise (video) , histogram , autoregressive model , mathematics , computer science , control theory (sociology) , algorithm , statistics , artificial intelligence , biology , telecommunications , paleontology , image (mathematics) , control (management) , endocrinology
Utilizing prolonged axonal stimulation single fiber EMG, neuromuscular transmission becomes a time‐series of interpotential intervals (IPIs). In this form, the underlying processes of neuromuscular transmission can be studied using standard numerical techniques to determine whether these processes can be described by a simple mathematical model. In particular, neuromuscular transmission jitter can be examined in this way. In this article, we attempt to determine whether healthy jitter is noise or deterministic chaos. The presence of deterministic chaos was assessed by analysis of the IPI time‐series using visual inspection of both phase‐space plots and their principal component dimensions, and using the Grassberger–Procaccia algorithm to determine the correlation dimension of the time‐series dynamics. These graphical and mathematical techniques provided little evidence for the existence of deterministic chaos. Linear autoregression time‐series prediction also failed to account for the variability of the data and IPI histograms exhibited simple gaussian distributions. These results suggest normal neuromuscular transmission jitter is the result of intrinsic noise. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.