Analysis of EEG and EMG Signals During Periodic and Intermittent Full-Hand and Pinch Grips
Session Number
2
Advisor(s)
Dr. Ashwin Mohan, SYNAPSE Lab, IMSA
Location
A133
Discipline
Medical and Health Sciences
Start Date
15-4-2026 11:10 AM
End Date
15-4-2026 11:55 AM
Abstract
During movement, the brain activates at specific frequencies known as beta (12-30Hz) and mu (8-13Hz) bands. Forearm and hand muscles activate in coordinated patterns to control different types of grips. Previous studies have examined the event-related desynchronization (ERD) occurring in the mu and beta bands during voluntary movement and which muscles activate in certain types of contractions, but do not examine the correlation between different grip types, grip patterns, and neuromuscular activity. As a result, the pipeline connecting neural activity, muscular activation, and grip type/timing are not well understood. The purpose of this study is to compare neuromuscular activity changes in different grip “settings”. Participants performed four tests: full-handed/periodic, full-handed/intermittent, pinch/periodic, and pinch/intermittent. Surface electromyography (sEMG) recorded muscle activity and electroencephalography (EEG) recorded beta and mu band activation. Raw signals were processed in MATLAB to plot activation over time. By comparing patterns of ERD in the beta/mu bands and of fine vs coarse muscle contraction between the four tests, this research aims to identify how different grip types and timing patterns influence neural activity and muscular output. The findings may help contribute to future research in motor control, efficient neuromuscular rehabilitation, and more intuitive prosthetics.
Analysis of EEG and EMG Signals During Periodic and Intermittent Full-Hand and Pinch Grips
A133
During movement, the brain activates at specific frequencies known as beta (12-30Hz) and mu (8-13Hz) bands. Forearm and hand muscles activate in coordinated patterns to control different types of grips. Previous studies have examined the event-related desynchronization (ERD) occurring in the mu and beta bands during voluntary movement and which muscles activate in certain types of contractions, but do not examine the correlation between different grip types, grip patterns, and neuromuscular activity. As a result, the pipeline connecting neural activity, muscular activation, and grip type/timing are not well understood. The purpose of this study is to compare neuromuscular activity changes in different grip “settings”. Participants performed four tests: full-handed/periodic, full-handed/intermittent, pinch/periodic, and pinch/intermittent. Surface electromyography (sEMG) recorded muscle activity and electroencephalography (EEG) recorded beta and mu band activation. Raw signals were processed in MATLAB to plot activation over time. By comparing patterns of ERD in the beta/mu bands and of fine vs coarse muscle contraction between the four tests, this research aims to identify how different grip types and timing patterns influence neural activity and muscular output. The findings may help contribute to future research in motor control, efficient neuromuscular rehabilitation, and more intuitive prosthetics.