The Effect of Electromyographic Jitter on Single Motor Unit EMG Potentials

Variability between successive discharges of the single motor unit potential in the biceps brachii muscle, due to electromyographic (EMG) jitter, has been investigated. This jitter results from random arrival times of single fiber potentials at the electrode. A computer model has been used to generate single motor unit potentials incorporating the effects of EMG jitter. A computed variance peak was found in the fast rising edge of the motor unit potential for electrode sites outside of the motor unit territory. This peak was also observed in experimental data recorded from human subjects. The peak variance outside of the motor unit territoxy has also been mathematically related to the number of fibers in the motor unit, jitter, and the slope of the mean action potential at the center of the fast rising edge.