Muscle electric activity. I: A model study on the effect of needle electrodes on single fiber action potentials

Needle recorded electromyographic signals can be expected to be influenced by the presence of the needle, the electrical double layer at the metal-electrolyte interface, and by an edematous layer around the needle electrode. The magnitude of each of these effects is derived from a cylinder symmetrical volume conductor model. Analytical solutions of Laplace's equation have been derived. These are used for simulating single muscle fiber action potentials (SFAPs) recorded by a typical single fiber electrode. The results indicate that there is no short-circuiting effect, in spite of the presence of a highly conducting needle shaft, which is due to the high impedance of the electrical double layer. The insulating properties of the double layer cause the SFAP amplitudes to increase, when the muscle fiber passes the electrode at the side of the leading-off point. The edematous layer counteracts this increase depending on the thickness and the conductivity of this layer. Only slight SFAP wave-form changes are found.