[Control of different electromyogram levels of M. abductor pollicis brevis by means of visual feedback in healthy subjects].

We studied voluntary control of integrated electromyogram (IEMG) in the range of 20 +/- 5% and 40 +/- 5% of the IEMG of m. abductor pollicis brevis during its maximum voluntary contraction with and without visual feedback. Healthy subjects performed IEMG control with visual feedback in 5 trials; IEMG control with visual feedback in 5 trials for 5 days, and the reproduction of memorized IEMG value without visual feedback after 5 trials of IEMG under the visual control. The accuracy of IEMG control was estimated by the following parameters: time of IEMG being out of the required 10% range (ERROR); IEMG variability (VARIABILITY), and the bias of IEMG mean level (BIAS) during 30-sec trials. The IEMG control in the range of 20 +/- 5% with visual feedback improved in all subjects over the course of 5 trials. Within 5-day training, ERROR and VARIABILITY reduced on the first day only; during the last 4 days there was no accuracy increase. ERROR increased more than twice when the 20% IEMG level was reproduced without vision. The IEMG control in the range of 40 +/- 5% improved neither during 5 trials, nor during 5 days of training with visual feedback. ERROR increased for about 1.5 times when the 40% IEMG level was reproduced without vision. It was concluded that the motor system, particularly the motor cortex, could control the given level of muscle activity using the visual feedback.