Surface electromyographic estimates of recruitment/rate coding of masseteric motor units

Surface electromyographic (EMG) recordings were obtained from the masseter muscles in healthy subjects performing brisk maximum voluntary teeth clenching (MVC) for about 1 s. During the onset (0-600 ms) of ballistic MVC activity, the peak amplitude of the EMG interference patterns showed a consistent and significant increase, on examination for 0-200 ms, 200-400 ms, and 400-600 ms of MVC activity. The peak (maximum) and median (centroid) frequencies of power spectrum density functions of the raw surface EMGs (interference patterns) showed an absence of consistent and significant changes during 0-600 ms of ballistic MVC activity. However, the estimated total energy contents (peak amplitude x peak frequency) of the surface interference patterns showed a consistent and significant increase from 0 to 600 ms of ballistic MVC activity, and this was interpreted as global recruitment/rate coding of masseteric motor units.