Merletti R, Knaflitz M, DeLuca C J
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, MA 02215.
Crit Rev Biomed Eng. 1992;19(4):293-340.
Electrical stimulation of the nervous system is attracting increasing attention because of the possibilities it offers for physiological investigations, clinical diagnosis, muscle function assessment, noninvasive muscle characterization, and functional control of paralyzed extremities. Parameters of the myoelectric signal evoked by surface stimulation of a muscle motor point or by stimulation of a nerve trunk by means of implanted electrodes provide information about muscle performance and properties if the stimulation artifact is properly removed or suppressed. Comparison of these parameters with those obtained during voluntary contractions provides additional insight into muscle physiology. The relationships between myoelectric signal amplitude parameters, spectral parameters, and conduction velocity are discussed with special reference to muscle fatigue. This review focuses on a few methodological aspects concerning electrical stimulation of the peripheral nervous system, detection, and processing of the electrically evoked myoelectric signals in skeletal muscles. The state of the art of the following issues is discussed: (1) properties of voluntary and electrically evoked myoelectric signals; (2) techniques for evoking and detecting myoelectric signals; (3) techniques for suppression of stimulation artifacts; (4) effect of stimulation waveforms and electrode properties; (5) signal processing techniques for electrically evoked myoelectric signals; (6) physiological significance of myoelectric signal variables; (7) order of recruitment of motor units during electrical stimulation; (8) myoelectric manifestations of fatigue in electrically stimulated muscles; (9) assessment of crosstalk by electrical stimulation; and (10) applications in sport, rehabilitation, and geriatric medicine.
神经系统的电刺激正吸引着越来越多的关注，因为它为生理研究、临床诊断、肌肉功能评估、无创肌肉特征分析以及瘫痪肢体的功能控制提供了可能性。如果刺激伪迹被妥善去除或抑制，通过肌肉运动点的表面刺激或借助植入电极对神经干进行刺激所诱发的肌电信号参数可提供有关肌肉性能和特性的信息。将这些参数与自愿收缩期间获得的参数进行比较，能进一步深入了解肌肉生理学。本文特别参考肌肉疲劳，讨论了肌电信号幅度参数、频谱参数和传导速度之间的关系。这篇综述聚焦于一些与外周神经系统电刺激、骨骼肌中电诱发肌电信号的检测和处理有关的方法学方面。讨论了以下问题的当前进展：（1）自愿和电诱发肌电信号的特性；（2）诱发和检测肌电信号的技术；（3）抑制刺激伪迹的技术；（4）刺激波形和电极特性的影响；（5）电诱发肌电信号的信号处理技术；（6）肌电信号变量的生理意义；（7）电刺激期间运动单位的募集顺序；（8）电刺激肌肉中疲劳的肌电表现；（9）通过电刺激评估串扰；以及（10）在体育、康复和老年医学中的应用。
