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Reliability of different electromyographic normalization methods for pelvic floor muscles assessment
Author(s) -
PereiraBaldon Vanessa S.,
Oliveira Ana B.,
Padilha Juliana F.,
Degani Adriana M.,
Avila Mariana A.,
Driusso Patricia
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
neurourology and urodynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1520-6777
pISSN - 0733-2467
DOI - 10.1002/nau.24332
Subject(s) - intraclass correlation , medicine , reproducibility , electromyography , normalization (sociology) , pelvic floor , standard error , abdominal muscles , root mean square , interclass correlation , orthodontics , physical therapy , physical medicine and rehabilitation , surgery , statistics , mathematics , sociology , anthropology , electrical engineering , engineering
Aims To evaluate the reliability of different methods to normalize pelvic floor muscles (PFM) electromyography (EMG). Methods Thirty nulliparous women (23.9 ± 3.2 years), free from PFM dysfunction, completed two test sessions 7 days apart. For EMG normalization, signals were acquired during four different tasks using a vaginal probe in situ: PFM maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and three daily activities with increased intra‐abdominal pressure (coughing, Valsalva maneuver, and abdominal contraction). The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), relative standard error of measurement (%SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC) were calculated for each variable. Results ICC values for test‐retest reliability of normalization methods ranged from 0.61 to 0.95. The highest values were obtained for mean root mean square (RMS) of the abdominal contraction and peak RMS of PFM‐MVC. Normalization using RMS of PFM‐MVC showed the lowest values of SEM and MDC. Conclusions The normalization of EMG data is considered a fundamental part of EMG investigations. These findings suggest that the normalization of PFM‐EMG by either peak RMS of PFM‐MVC or mean and peak RMS of abdominal contraction has excellent reliability and it can be applied in studies involving the evaluation of young women.