Effect of auditory rhythm on muscle activity.

the changes in the electromyogram patterns of two antagonist muscles were studied when female subjects performed a motor task with and without an auditory rhythm. During the performance of the motor task without the rhythm, the subjects demonstrated a common and consistent personal tempo and a common electromyogram pattern. With the imposed timing of an even or uneven rhythm, the initiation and duration of the electromyograms changed significantly for subjects in both rhythm groups. Variations of electromyograms decreased significantly for subjects inthe even-rhythm group and increased significantly for subjects in the uneven-rhythm group. The authors suggest specific ways in which rhythm can be used in rehabilitative techniques to modify the onset, duration, and inconsistency of muscular activity.