• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.41-54
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• 2001

Fatigue is the decline in force produced as a result of prolonged muscle activity. Localized muscle fatigue can be identified by a shift toward low in the frequency components of the EMG signal, typically represented by a fall in the median frequency. Previous studies show that a shortened muscle develops a higher fatigue than elongated muscles. The purpose of this study was to investigate the time-related change of median frequency and torque during maximal isometric back extension exercises at different exercise angles ($0^{\circ}$, $12^{\circ}$, $36^{\circ}$, $72^{\circ}$). Twenty healthy subjects (mean age = $24.35{\pm}2.70$) were evaluated in this study. Median frequency was extracted from the EMG signals by fast Fourier transform (FFT). Initial median frequency and the slope of median frequency change over time were computed from linear regression analysis. Pearson's product moment correlation was used to quantify the relationship between slope of median frequency and torque. The results were as follows: 1) Significant differences in y-intercepts of torque regression equation with respect to exercise angle were shown. However, there were no differences in the slopes of the median frequency and torque, and y intercept of the median frequency among exercise angles. 2) There was no significant correlation between slope of median frequency and torque. 3) But there was moderate correlation between median frequency and torque at each exercise angle. In conclusion, the exercise angle during maximal isometric back extension exercise is not a direct effect on slope of median frequency and torque. But results showed that median frequency and torque shift were highly correlated in all subjects.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.90-95
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to analyze the changes in muscle fatigue by using electromyography (EMG) measurements of the median frequency of shoulder muscles of patients who underwent rotator cuff repair, and to provide basic data for efficient exercise methods during rehabilitation after the repair. In the study, 24 male and 8 female patients who underwent rotator cuff repair performed continuous passive shoulder joint motion for 3 weeks and the median frequency of their shoulder muscles before and after the repair were compared using measurements by EMG. The infraspinatus, supraspinatus, and serratus anterior muscles showed significant differences in the changes in the median frequency before and after the repair. Significant differences were also found in the median frequency of the three muscles both before and after the repair. Additionally, the middle deltoid muscle had a lower median frequency than the supraspinatus muscle before the repair and the infraspinatus muscle had a lower median frequency than the middle deltoid muscle after the repair. It is expected that these results will serve as important data in developing rehabilitation exercise programs for the infraspinatus, supraspinatus, and serratus anterior muscles by compensating the middle deltoid muscle with the lowest muscle fatigue after the rotator cuff repair erase.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.153-160
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• 2000

Occupational cumulative traumas (CTDs) are becoming one of leading ailments in industrialized worl $d^{(1.2)}$. The degree of muscle fatigue is important parameter to understand cause of occupational cumulative trauma disorders. To quantify degree of muscle fatigue, muscle EMG activity was measured during isometric and dynamic contractions(repetitive concentric/eccentric muscle contraction) and its analyzed data, such as RMS, median frequency, and median power were compared when the muscle was fresh and exhausted. When muscle become fatigue, it was observed that median frequency decreased and median power and RMS increased However, based on overall prolonged observation, median frequency increased and median power and RMS decreased. Therefore it was concluded that shifting patterns of RMS, median frequency, and median power values can be used as parameter to evaluate degree of muscle fatigue even in dynamic muscle contraction.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.141-149
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• 2003

Median frequency can be regarded as a valid indicator of local muscle fatigue. As local muscle fatigue develops, the muscle fiber conduction velocity decreases, the fast twitch fibers are recruited less, and consequently the median frequency shifts toward the lower frequency area. The aim of this study was to test the characteristics of the median frequency according to exercise load (30% and 60% of MVC on the biceps brachii, 40% and 80% of MVC on the vastus lateralis) during the fatiguing isometric exercise. Thirteen healthy male volunteer students of Yonsei University were recruited. After the testing maximal voluntary isometric contraction, three variables (initial median frequency, regression slope, fatigue index) from the regression line of MDF data were measured in each exercise load. The results showed that the regression slope and fatigue index were significantly different for the biceps brachii, but not for the vastus lateralis initial MDF was not significant difference according to the exercise load on both muscles. The regression slope and fatigue index could monitor physiologic muscle change during fatiguing isometric exercise. The results showed that two MDF variables reflect the local muscle fatigue according to the exercise load.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.8-12
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• 2010

In this paper, we studied on AR model order decision for extraction of EMG median frequency by t-test and ANOVA and comparison of median frequency. And we extracted well-known parameters such as zero crossing rate(ZCR), low band energy(Band) and median frequency(MDF) from surface electromyogram (EMG). And we compared to evaluate themselves as measures for fatigue.

• Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.513-518
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• 2004

The well-known mode-mean-median inequality for the unimodal population distribution does not always hold for the frequency distribution. But many elementary statistics text books just mention that the relative location of the mean and median can be used to determine whether a distribution is positively or negatively skewed. In this paper we introduce the method generating data that is positively skewed but mean

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.175-181
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• 2003

Studies of muscle fatigue have mostly been checked under isometric exercise. However EMG signals from isotonic exercise generate uncontrollable noise, so there were difficulties in gathering reliable median frequency and muscle fatigue index if frequency analysis was equally applied in isometric exercise. This study tried to compare the differences of muscle fatigue determinant variables in terms of median frequency searching methods of EMG signal, which was estimated in isotonic exercise. To accomplish this, we determined median frequency by using different FFT intervals and overlapping ration of consecutive FFT sections under the same EMG signal, and then searched for a linear regression line, and compared initial median frequency, slope, and muscle fatigue index which were variables under the linear regression line. In result of comparison, initial median frequency was more elevated as FFT exercise interval became larger. The slope of the linear regression line showed distinguishable decreasing tendency as FFT intervals were larger and overlapping sections were smaller. Significant tendency of muscle fatigue index in FFT interval was shown by high muscle fatigue index in specific FFT intervals.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2002

Localized muscle fatigue can be identified by a downward shift of the EMG frequency typically represented by a fall in the median frequency The Present experimental study was Performed to investigate the time change of the median frequency and the muscle torque during maximal isometric back extension exercises at different exercise angles (0$^{\circ}$, 12$^{\circ}$, 36$^{\circ}$and 72$^{\circ}$) Twenty heath subjects (mean age : 24.35 $\pm$ 2.70) were Participated in this study Median frequency was extracted from EMG signals by employing the fast Fourier transform. Initial median frequency and the slope of median frequency was not significantly correlated with the muscle torque. Pearson's Product moment correlation was used to quantify the relationship between slopes of median frequency and torque. The results may suggest that the exorcise angle during maximal isometric back extension exercises does not affect the slopes of the median frequency and torque, and y-intercept of the median frequency among exercise angles There was no significant correlation between slopes of median frequency and torque. But there was a moderate correlation between median frequency and torque at each exercise angle. In conclusion, the exercise angle during maximal isometric back extension exercise is not a direct effect on slopes of median frequency and torque. But results showed that the shift of median frequency and torque shift were highly correlated in all subjects.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers D
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• v.55 no.7
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• pp.344-351
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• 2006

The fatigue of back muscle in the repetitive lifting motion was studied using multiple parameters(FFT_MDF, RMS, 2C, NT) in this study. Recent developments in the time-frequency analysis procedures to compute the IMDF(instantaneous median frequency) were utilized to overcome the nonstationarity of EMG signal using Cohen-Posch distribution. But the above method has a lot of computation time because of its complexity. So, in this study, FFT_MDF(median frequency estimation based on FFT) algorithm was used for median frequency estimation of back muscle EMG signal during muscle work in uniform velocity portion of lumbar movement. The analysis period of EMG signal was determined by using the run test and lumbar movement angle in dynamic task, such as lifting. Results showed that FFT_MDF algorithm is well suited for the estimation of back muscle fatigue from the view point of computation time. The negative slope of a regression line fitted to the median frequency values of back muscle EMG signal was taken as an indication of muscle fatigue. The slope of muscle fatigueness with FFT_MDF method shows the similarity of 77.8% comparing with CP_MDF(median frequency estimation based on Cohen Posch distribution) method.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.135-140
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• 2012

Previous investigators have shown that the frequency compression is related to the muscle fatigue and the decreasing conduction velocity of muscle fibers. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between endurance times and frequency parameters such as mean power frequency and median frequency in the surface EMG signal during isotonic contractions. Eight healthy subjects performed voluntary isotonic contractions of biceps Brachii muscle until their endurance times which were determined when the subject could no longer follow the contraction cycle. The regressive slopes of mean power frequency and median frequency were used to describe the frequency compression of the surface EMG signal, and to test the predictability of endurance time. As results of experiment, significant correlations were found between endurance time and the regressive slopes of mean power frequency and mean frequency computed over 50%Tend of endurance time.