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Paradigms of Lower Extremity Electrical Stimulation Training After Spinal Cord Injury

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Electrode type and placement configuration for quadriceps activation evaluation.

Brian G Pietrosimone¹, Noelle M Selkow, Christopher D Ingersoll

¹Department of Kinesiology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA. brian.pietrosimone@utoledo.edu

Journal of Athletic Training

|April 11, 2012

Summary

This study found that electrode type and configuration did not significantly alter quadriceps voluntary activation measurements in healthy individuals. These findings suggest that current methods for assessing muscle activation are robust across different electrode setups.

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Assessment of Neuromuscular Function Using Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation

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Area of Science:

Neuromuscular Physiology
Sports Medicine
Rehabilitation Science

Background:

Accurate estimation of quadriceps voluntary activation is crucial for assessing neuromuscular function, especially after knee injuries.
Existing techniques for measuring quadriceps activation utilize various electrode types and configurations, but optimal parameters remain undetermined.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether stimulating electrode type and configuration influence quadriceps central activation ratio (CAR) and percentage-of-activation measurements in healthy participants.

Main Methods:

A crossover study design was employed in a research laboratory setting.
Twenty healthy participants (13 men, 7 women) underwent four counter-balanced muscle activation tests.
Tests involved two electrode types (self-adhesive, carbon-impregnated) and two configurations (vastus, rectus), with quadriceps activation calculated using CAR and percentage-of-activation equations.

Main Results:

No significant differences were observed in CAR and percentage-of-activation measurements between the tested electrode types and configurations.
Resting twitch torque was significantly higher with the rectus configuration compared to the vastus configuration for both electrode types.
Resting twitch torque was also greater with self-adhesive electrodes than with carbon-impregnated electrodes across both configurations.

Conclusions:

Differences in electrode type and configuration did not appear to affect the outcome measures of CAR and percentage of activation.
While not necessarily interchangeable, the choice of electrode type and configuration may not critically impact the assessment of quadriceps voluntary activation.