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A biomedical Engineering Laboratory module for exploring involuntary muscle reflexes using Electromyography.

Karly S Franz^1,2, Kramay Patel^1,3,4, Dawn M Kilkenny^5,6

¹Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College St Room 407, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G9, Canada.

Journal of Biological Engineering

|December 9, 2020

Summary

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This study introduces a new lab protocol for biomedical engineering students to explore muscle reflexes using electrical stimulation and stretch tests. The engaging module reinforces physiological concepts and neural engineering principles.

Area of Science:

Biomedical Engineering Education
Neuroscience
Physiology

Background:

Biomedical engineering students need strong biosignal analysis and physiological theory for medical device R&D.
Applied learning enhances understanding of physiological coursework.
A new protocol integrates neural engineering and physiology to study involuntary skeletal muscle reflexes.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce a novel laboratory protocol for undergraduate biomedical engineering physiology courses.
To integrate neural engineering and physiological concepts for studying involuntary reflexes.
To provide hands-on experience with biosignal acquisition and analysis.

Main Methods:

Students used transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to recruit soleus motor units.

Keywords:

Biomedical engineering Electrical stimulation Electromyography Laboratory protocol Stretch reflex TENS Undergraduate physiology

Related Experiment Videos

The stretch reflex was explored with and without the Jendrassik maneuver.

Electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded using a BioRadio Wireless Physiology Monitor and analyzed in MATLAB.

Main Results:

Electrical tibial nerve stimulation successfully elicited M-waves and F-waves, enabling latency and amplitude analysis.
Stretch reflex signals allowed for sensorimotor conduction velocity estimation.
The Jendrassik maneuver significantly increased EMG amplitude during the knee-jerk response, with students finding the module engaging.

Conclusions:

The protocol effectively integrates engineering and physiology for BME students to learn about involuntary reflexes, neurophysiology, and neural engineering.
Budget-friendly equipment can be used to elicit and measure involuntary reflexes, enhancing student engagement.
The protocol offers a robust framework despite minor equipment and signal processing experience limitations.