Diaphragm interference pattern EMG and compound muscle action potentials: effects of chest wall configuration

The effect of chest wall configuration on the diaphragm electromyogram (EMGdi) was evaluated in five healthy subjects with an esophageal electrode for both interference pattern EMGdi (voluntary contractions) and electrically evoked diaphragm compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs). Diaphragm CMAPs (both unilateral and bilateral) were evaluated for the baseline-to-peak amplitude (Ampl), the time from the onset of the CMAP to first peak (T1), root mean square (RMS), and center frequency (CF) values of the CMAP power spectrum. CF values from the interference pattern EMGdi power spectrum were also calculated. For CMAPs obtained at an electrode position least influenced by variations induced by electrode positioning, Ampl increased with diaphragm shortening from functional residual capacity (FRC) to total lung capacity (TLC) by 101 and 98% (unilateral and bilateral, respectively). Bilateral CMAP RMS values increased 116% from FRC to TLC. CMAP T1 values decreased with diaphragm shortening from FRC to TLC by 1.1 and 2.1 ms for the unilateral and bilateral stimulations, respectively, and CF increased for the bilateral diaphragm CMAPs with diaphragm shortening. CF values from the interference pattern EMGdi did not show any consistent change with chest wall configuration. Thus CF values of the interference pattern EMGdi obtained with an esophageal electrode can be considered reliable for physiological interpretation, at any diaphragm length (if electrode positioning and signal contamination are controlled for), contrary to the diaphragm CMAPs, which are sensitive to changes in chest wall configuration. It is speculated that the different results (over the effects of chest wall configuration on interference pattern EMGdi and diaphragm CMAPs) amy be because of summation properties of the signals and how these influence the EMG power spectrum.