The Possibility of Electromyography Measuring as The Answer to Breath Holding

Abstract

There is an inherent connection between nervous system and muscle activity during breathing process. Both muscle fiber activation and the propagation of nerve impulses are electrical in its nature, whilst many cognitive functions could be measured by EEG signals. So the logical assumption might be that different breathing patterns, initially spotted by the minute volume changing, could be seen by change in electrophysiology of muscle activity – electromyogram (EMG). This pioneer multidisciplinary investigation has been concentrated on the most passive breathing activity, the prolonged breath holding. The safe and comfort method of physiological breath holding method has been applied. Having in mind number of anatomic and physiological characteristics of human body the two regions for non-invasive EMG measuring had been proposed– the neck and the region of solar plexus. The first test was done by 30 healthy volunteers, the students of sport science. The clear electrophysiology activity in these two regions has been proved. The measured respirational, ECG and two EMG signals has been shown that the sample rate of 200 Hz is quite enough. This opens the new possibilities for further experiments to be performed by enlarged number of electropoligraphical signals simultaneously taken. Whilst approaching to the point of physiological answer of the breath holding, the concerning increase of both average power and power spectral density had been spotted, especially in the regions of delta and theta.