抄録
The purpose of this study was to clarify an improvement of awareness of the muscle tension as well as the performance during tension-control training by electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback. In order to relax the agonist (Biceps) and to contract the antagonist (Triceps) at elbow flexion, two experimental groups of eight undergraduate male subjects were provided with either no feedback (Condition NF) or the continuous visual feedback (Condition F) from each muscle activity. In Experiment 1, Condition NF was performed, and subsequently Condition F was run to prove the effect of muscle control. In Experiment 2, in order to test whether the training effect was retained or not, Condition F was first carried out, and its effect was compared with the later Condition NF. Additionally, immediately after each training trial in both experiments, the subject was required to guess whether the control level of both muscle tensions increased or decreased relative to the one of the immediately preceding trial in both experiments. The fol1owing results were obtained: 1) In the mean EMG recorded from Triceps, Condition F showed a significantly greater EMG than Condition NF in Experiment 1, while the significant difference in EMGs obtained from the two conditions was not found in Experiment 2. 2) In both experiments, the probability of correct guessings between adjacent trials in Condition F was significantly greater than that in Condition NF. 3) A significant difference in the probability of success in controlling the two muscle tensions was found between the two conditions in Experiment 1. 4) In Experiment 1, a significant interaction was found between overall subjective guessings and the actual muscle activities in Condition F, while, in Experiment 2, it was found in both conditions.
