Mental stress and trapezius muscle activation under psychomotor challenge: A focus on EMG gaps during computer work

Schleifer, Lawrence M.; Spalding, Thomas W.; Kerick, Scott E.; Cram, Jeffrey R.; Ley, Ronald; Hatfield, Bradley D.

doi:10.1111/j.1469-8986.2008.00645.x

Cited by 69 publications

(74 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Even for the most common muscle studied which is the trapezius muscle, the effect of stress on muscle activity can be divided into two main groups. One group found that when a certain psychosocial stress exists, the trapezius muscle will become affected and the muscle activity will be increased significantly [8,12,18,21,[29][30][31]35]. On the other hand, another group of researchers found that the existence of a certain psychosocial stress did not have any significant effect on trapezius muscle activity [9,14,18,19,23,24,27,28].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of psychosocial stress on muscle activity during computer work: Comparative study between desktop computer and mobile computing products

Taib

Bahn

Yun

2016

WOR

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Abstract. BACKGROUND:The popularity of mobile computing products is well known. Thus, it is crucial to evaluate their contribution to musculoskeletal disorders during computer usage under both comfortable and stressful environments. OBJECTIVE: This study explores the effect of different computer products' usages with different tasks used to induce psychosocial stress on muscle activity. METHODS: Fourteen male subjects performed computer tasks: sixteen combinations of four different computer products with four different tasks used to induce stress. Electromyography for four muscles on the forearm, shoulder and neck regions and task performances were recorded. RESULTS: The increment of trapezius muscle activity was dependent on the task used to induce the stress where a higher level of stress made a greater increment. However, this relationship was not found in the other three muscles. Besides that, compared to desktop and laptop use, the lowest activity for all muscles was obtained during the use of a tablet or smart phone. The best net performance was obtained in a comfortable environment. However, during stressful conditions, the best performance can be obtained using the device that a user is most comfortable with or has the most experience with. CONCLUSIONS: Different computer products and different levels of stress play a big role in muscle activity during computer work. Both of these factors must be taken into account in order to reduce the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders or problems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of psychosocial stress on muscle activity during computer work: Comparative study between desktop computer and mobile computing products

Taib

Bahn

Yun

2016

WOR

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“…The advantage of laboratory studies lies in the better control and standardization of the task conditions to estimate the demands in terms of physical and mental workloads, which are diYcult to do in the Weld setting. In many studies that examined the eVects of mental pressure, the design tended to focus more on the proximal spinal muscles (Bansevicius et al 1997;Blangsted et al 2004;Hägg and Aström 1997;Johnston et al 2008;Lundberg et al 2002;McLean and Urquhart 2002;Schleifer et al 2008). Increase in muscle activity of the trapezius and levator scapulae have been reported when subjects performed typing with increased pace and under the additional stress of distraction (McLean and Urquhart 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Previous studies have attempted to examine the eVects of mental workload or mental stressors on muscle activation during diVerent forms of computer work, which included Weld investigations (Hägg and Aström 1997;Rissén et al 2002;Vasseljen and Westgaard 1995;Wahlström et al 2003) and laboratory studies (Bansevicius et al 1997;Blangsted et al 2004;Finsen et al 2001;Hughes et al 2007;Johnston et al 2008;Krantz et al 2004;Leyman et al 2004;Lundberg et al 2002;McLean and Urquhart 2002;Nilsen et al 2007;Schleifer et al 2008;Van Galen et al 2002;Visser et al 2004). Many of these studies aimed to diVerentiate the eVects due to physical and mental workloads.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effects of physical and mental task demands on cervical and upper limb muscle activity and physiological responses during computer tasks and recovery periods

2011

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The present study examined the effects of physical and mental workload during computer tasks on muscle activity and physiological measures. Activity in cervical postural muscles and distal forearm muscles, heart rate and blood pressure were compared among three tasks and rest periods of 15 min each in an experimental study design. Fourteen healthy pain-free adults participated (7 males, mean age = 23.2 ± 3.0 years) and the tasks were: (1) copy-typing ("typing"), (2) typing at progressively faster speed ("pacing"), (3) mental arithmetic plus fast typing ("subtraction"). Typing task was performed first, followed by the other two tasks in a random order. Median muscle activity (50th percentile) was examined in 5-min intervals during each task and each rest period, and statistically significant differences in the "time" factor (within task) and time × task factors was found in bilateral cervical erector spinae and upper trapezius muscles. In contrast, distal forearm muscle activity did not show any significant differences among three tasks. All muscles showed reduced activity to about the baseline level within first 5 min of the rest periods. Heart rate and blood pressure showed significant differences during tasks compared to baseline, and diastolic pressure was significantly higher in the subtraction than pacing task. The results suggest that cervical postural muscles had higher reactivity than forearm muscles to high mental workload tasks, and cervical muscles were also more reactive to tasks with high physical demand compared to high mental workload. Heart rate and blood pressure seemed to respond similarly to high physical and mental workloads.

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“…Results of some studies indicate that both types responses evoke similar responses, while other studies suggest that responses vary, depending on the kind of physical and mental tension in a given test [17]. The increased contraction of Trapesius muscle was revealed by the EMG record in the subjects performing various psychomotor tasks [40]. The test assessing muscle activity during work performed at a computer work station revealed higher activity of the upper trapezius muscle at the side opposite to the computer mouse [41].…”

Section: Fig 2 Parametersreflectingheartratevariability(hrv)atdiffementioning

confidence: 99%

Heart rate variability (HRV) and muscular system activity (EMG) in cases of crash threat during simulated driving of a passenger car

Zużewicz

Roman-Liu

Konarska

et al. 2013

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

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Objectives: The aim of the study was to verify whether simultaneous responses from the muscular and circulatory system occur in the driver's body under simulated conditions of a crash threat. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out in a passenger car driving simulator. The crash was included in the driving test scenario developed in an urban setting. In the group of 22 young male subjects, two physiological signals -ECG and EMG were continuously recorded. The length of the RR interval in the ECG signal was assessed. A HRV analysis was performed in the time and frequency domains for 1-minute record segments at rest (seated position), during undisturbed driving as well as during and several minutes after the crash. For the left and right side muscles: m. trapezius (TR) and m. flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), the EMG signal amplitude was determined. The percentage of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) was compared during driving and during the crash. Results: As for the ECG signal, it was found that in most of the drivers changes occurred in the parame tervaluesreflectingHRVinthetimedomain.SignificantchangeswerenotedinthemeanlengthofRRintervals (mRR). As for the EMG signal, the changes in the amplitude concerned the signal recorded from the FDS muscle. The changes in ECG and EMG were simultaneous in half of the cases. Conclusion: Such parameters as mRR (ECG signal) and FDS-L amplitude (EMG signal) were the responses to accident risk. Under simulated conditions, responses from the circulatory and musculoskeletal systems are not always simultaneous. The results indicate that a more complete driver's responsetoacrashinroadtrafficisobtainedbasedonparallelrecordingoftwophysiologicalsignals(ECGandEMG).

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Mental stress and trapezius muscle activation under psychomotor challenge: A focus on EMG gaps during computer work

Cited by 69 publications

References 30 publications

The effect of psychosocial stress on muscle activity during computer work: Comparative study between desktop computer and mobile computing products

The effect of psychosocial stress on muscle activity during computer work: Comparative study between desktop computer and mobile computing products

Effects of physical and mental task demands on cervical and upper limb muscle activity and physiological responses during computer tasks and recovery periods

Heart rate variability (HRV) and muscular system activity (EMG) in cases of crash threat during simulated driving of a passenger car

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