TY - JOUR
T1 - Sonomechanomyography (SMMG): Mapping of skeletal muscle motion onset during contraction using ultrafast ultrasound imaging and multiple motion sensors
AU - Ling, Yan To
AU - Ma, Christina Zong Hao
AU - Shea, Queenie Tsung Kwan
AU - Zheng, Yong Ping
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding: This study was supported by the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme, the Hong Kong Research Grant Council (R5017-18), and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (ZG4W).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2020/10/1
Y1 - 2020/10/1
N2 - Background: Available methods for studying muscle dynamics, including electromyography (EMG), mechanomyography (MMG) and M-mode ultrasound, have limitations in terms of spatial resolution. Methods: This study developed a novel method/protocol of two-dimensional mapping of muscle motion onset using ultrafast ultrasound imaging, i.e., sono-mechano-myo-graphy (SMMG). The developed method was compared with the EMG, MMG and force outputs of tibialis anterior (TA) muscle during ankle dorsiflexion at different percentages of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) force in healthy young adults. Results: Significant differences between all pairwise comparisons of onsets were identified, except between SMMG and MMG. The EMG onset significantly led SMMG, MMG and force onsets by 40.0 ± 1.7 ms (p < 0.001), 43.1 ± 5.2 ms (p < 0.005) and 73.0 ± 4.5 ms (p < 0.001), respectively. Muscle motion also started earlier at the middle aponeurosis than skin surface and deeper regions when viewed longitudinally (p < 0.001). No significant effect of force level on onset delay was found. Conclusions: This study introduced and evaluated a new method/protocol, SMMG, for studying muscle dynamics and demonstrated its feasibility for muscle contraction onset research. This novel technology can potentially provide new insights for future studies of neuromuscular diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy.
AB - Background: Available methods for studying muscle dynamics, including electromyography (EMG), mechanomyography (MMG) and M-mode ultrasound, have limitations in terms of spatial resolution. Methods: This study developed a novel method/protocol of two-dimensional mapping of muscle motion onset using ultrafast ultrasound imaging, i.e., sono-mechano-myo-graphy (SMMG). The developed method was compared with the EMG, MMG and force outputs of tibialis anterior (TA) muscle during ankle dorsiflexion at different percentages of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) force in healthy young adults. Results: Significant differences between all pairwise comparisons of onsets were identified, except between SMMG and MMG. The EMG onset significantly led SMMG, MMG and force onsets by 40.0 ± 1.7 ms (p < 0.001), 43.1 ± 5.2 ms (p < 0.005) and 73.0 ± 4.5 ms (p < 0.001), respectively. Muscle motion also started earlier at the middle aponeurosis than skin surface and deeper regions when viewed longitudinally (p < 0.001). No significant effect of force level on onset delay was found. Conclusions: This study introduced and evaluated a new method/protocol, SMMG, for studying muscle dynamics and demonstrated its feasibility for muscle contraction onset research. This novel technology can potentially provide new insights for future studies of neuromuscular diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy.
KW - Electromyography (EMG)
KW - Maximum voluntary contraction (MVC)
KW - Mechanomyography (MMG)
KW - Muscle motion onset
KW - Ultrafast ultrasound
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85091673942&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/s20195513
DO - 10.3390/s20195513
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 32993105
AN - SCOPUS:85091673942
SN - 1424-8220
VL - 20
SP - 1
EP - 13
JO - Sensors (Switzerland)
JF - Sensors (Switzerland)
IS - 19
M1 - 5513
ER -