Application of singular spectrum-based change-point analysis to EMG-onset detection

While many approaches have been proposed to identify the signal onset in EMG recordings, there is no standardized method for performing this task. Here, we propose to use a change-point detection procedure based on singular spectrum analysis to determine the onset of EMG signals. This method is suitable for automated real-time implementation, can be applied directly to the raw signal, and does not require any prior knowledge of the EMG signal's properties. The algorithm proposed by Moskvina and Zhigljavsky (2003) was applied to EMG segments recorded from wrist and trunk muscles. Wrist EMG data was collected from 9 Parkinson's disease patients with and without tremor, while trunk EMG data was collected from 13 healthy able-bodied individuals. Along with the change-point detection analysis, two threshold-based onset detection methods were applied, as well as visual estimates of the EMG onset by trained practitioners. In the case of wrist EMG data without tremor, the change-point analysis showed comparable or superior frequency and quality of detection results, as compared to other automatic detection methods. In the case of wrist EMG data with tremor and trunk EMG data, performance suffered because other changes occurring in these signals caused larger changes in the detection statistic than the changes caused by the initial muscle activation, suggesting that additional criteria are needed to identify the onset from the detection statistic other than its magnitude alone. Once this issue is resolved, change-point detection should provide an effective EMG-onset detection method suitable for automated real-time implementation.