Electromyographic Characteristics of Aftercontraction Effect of Skeletal Muscles in Young, Middle-Age and Older People

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Abstract

Aftercontraction effect, or post-activation effect (PAE) is a special type of involuntary normal muscle tone. It is assumed that aging can specifically modify such characteristics of PAE as duration, latency, prevalence in the population, the presence of an «oscillatory» pattern and the parameters of the surface electromyogram (sEMG). PAE was studied in the groups of junior (JU, 18–23 years, n = 46), young (YU, 24–44 years, n = 23) and middle-age and older people (MO, 45–75 years, n = 24). In the deltoid muscles, PAE was triggered in 89% of individuals in the JU group, 87% – in YU, and in 75% of individuals in the MO group. In the JU group, the «oscillatory» pattern (repeated periods of PAE) was present in 32% trials, in the YU group – in 15%, and was completely absent in the MO group. The amplitude of sEMG during PAE was reduced in the MO group compared to JU by approximately two times (p < 0.05). The duration of PAE did not differ among the groups of different ages, and the latency of PAE was the lowest in the JU group (p < 0.05). The mean frequency of the sEMG spectrum during PAE compared to voluntary isometric contraction was higher in the JU and MO groups. Thus, PAE is generally characteristic of neurotypical persons under 75 years of age, but in middle and old age, PAE is characterized by the absence of repeated periods of PAE («oscillatory pattern»), lower amplitude of sEMG and longer latency. It is assumed that with aging, the tonic automatisms of skeletal muscles are inhibited is less proned to oscillate.

About the authors

A. Yu Meigal

Petrozavodsk State University

Email: meigal@petrsu.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2088-5101
Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Professor, Head of the Department, Head of the laboratory Petrozavodsk, Russian Federation

A. E Peskova

Petrozavodsk State University

Email: peskova@petrsu.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0008-0000-8738
postgraduate student Petrozavodsk, Russian Federation

L. I Gerasimova-Meigal

Petrozavodsk State University

Email: gerasimova@petrsu.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3677-3764
Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Associate Professor, Professor Petrozavodsk, Russian Federation

E. G Antonen

Petrozavodsk State University

Email: antonen@petrsu.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9445-0752
Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Associate Professor, Head of Department Petrozavodsk, Russian Federation

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