Experiential student lab project: Measures of the stretch reflex electromyogram
Category: Research Poster
Author(s): Hannah Sims
Presenter(s): Hannah Sims
Mentors(s): Brian Tracy
Hands-on exposure to sophisticated quantification of the commonly studied stretch reflex is valuable for learning. However, lab-grade electromyogram (EMG) systems are expensive. Undergraduate students in a lab class compared the stretch reflex (patellar tendon tap) EMG responses from an expensive lab-grade and inexpensive consumer-grade EMG device. Stretch reflex responses were acquired from seven students using two separate EMG systems (lab-grade: ADInstruments, ADI, consumer-grade: Backyard Brains Spikerbox, BYB). Electrode pairs from each system adjacently placed over the rectus femoris muscle. Sixty tendon taps (10 soft, 10 medium, and 10 hard taps during control and Jendrassik maneuver) were performed on each student and the EMG responses were recorded. The root mean square (RMS) values of the EMG responses were correlated (420 pairs of values) between devices for each student. For each student, the 60 pairs of values (control, Jendrassik) were positively linearly correlated between the devices. For the seven students, the R-squared values for the regression between devices were 0.46, 0.85, 0.86, 0.87, 0.90, 0.91, 0.95 (all P< 0.05). The results indicate that the portable, inexpensive consumer-grade EMG system (Backyard Brains, Inc.) is an acceptable alternative to lab-grade equipment for assessing the electrophysiology of the stretch reflex in the teaching lab. Such equipment would increase accessibility for both university and secondary physiology education.