Ace Therapeutics offers a range of services related to wireless recording of electromyography (EMG) neuronal activity in free-ranging mice. We can automatically and accurately track small movements by measuring EMG. By combining electroencephalography (EEG) with EMG, we can more accurately characterize psychiatric disease phenotypes and putative drug responses.

Introduction of Electromyography (EMG) in Psychiatry

Anxiety is a psycho-physiological construct with both psychological (e.g., worry, fear, dread) and physiological (e.g., increased heart rate and respiration, muscle tension) manifestations. Electromyography (EMG) is an electrophysiological technique used to evaluate and record the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. EMG is performed using an instrument called an electromyograph to generate an electromyogram. The test is used to help detect neuromuscular abnormalities. During the test, one or more small needles (also called electrodes) are inserted through the skin into the muscle. The electrical activity picked up by the electrodes is then displayed on an oscilloscope. An audio amplifier is used so that the activity can be heard. EMG measures the electrical activity of a muscle at rest, during a slight contraction, and during a forceful contraction. Thus, if a person perceives anxiety as a reflection of increased muscle tone, EMG can be used to examine the change in tone before and after exercise.

Fig. 1 EMG subcutaneous electrode location in the rat hindlimb. (Teruya PY, et al., 2021)

EMG Services

Ace Therapeutics can assess the neural and muscle health of anesthetized animals by electromyography (EMG). We use small needles (<1mm diameter) to record electrical activity within the muscle. When the animal is anesthetized, EMG should not recognize any electrical activity within normal muscles. EMG in animals with tense muscles usually recognizes spontaneous electrical activity that is abnormal. EMG is performed in conjunction with nerve conduction velocity (NCV) testing to distinguish between muscle disease and neuromuscular disease. Compound muscle action potential (CMAP) is another type of EMG reading that refers to an almost simultaneous set of action potentials from several muscle fibers in the same region that are evoked by stimulation of the supplying motor nerve. CMAP is recorded as a multi-peaked total action potential. Both NCV and CMAP recordings can provide useful information about neuromuscular activity, their junctions, and any deficits Both NCV and CMAP recordings can provide useful information about neuromuscular activity, their junctions and any defects.

What Can We Help You Achieve in Psychiatry with EMG?

• Assessing the relationship between mental-emotional state and muscle tone
• Assessing sleep disorders associated with psychiatric disorders
• Predicting idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder

Our Advantages

• Diagnose peripheral nerve disorders.
• Allows direct observation of nerve impulses from muscle fibers without the need for intermediate procedures that may cause interference
• Provides a safe, reliable, non-invasive method of recording neuromuscular function

Ace Therapeutics can also monitor whole brain activity through quantitative EEG, and EMG monitors the activity of skeletal muscle fibers. Both can be used separately or together to monitor brain activity and neuromuscular activity. For example, quantitative EEG, EMG and motor activity signals are used to detect sleep-wake states. If you would like more information about this service, please feel free to make an inquiry.

Reference

1. Teruya PY, et al. Quantifying muscle alterations in a Parkinson's disease animal model using electromyographic biomarkers. Med Biol Eng Comput. 2021, 59(9):1735-1749.