Abstract
The purpose of the study was to investigate preliminarily the accuracy of the values for the sucking cycle time by using the integration curve of the EMG from perioral muscles and comparing with the values measured by suckgraph as the control.
Nine babies, with a mean age 13.8 weeks, were used in the observation. Electromyograms from the temporalis, masseter, orbicularis oris and the suprahyoid muscles were obtained unilaterally and the suckgraph was also recorded during sucking of 10% glucose solution. The sucking cycle time was measured by using the suckgraph at first as the control, then the sucking cycle time was also measured by the mean integration curve of the EMGs on a computer.
The following results were obtained;
1 The EMG activity trend and coordination of the four muscles in a sucking cycle could be observed clearly by using the mean integration curve of EMG.
2 The sucking cycle times obtained from the suckgraph and the integration curve of EMG were 647.8±148.8 ms and 653.3±128.5 ms, respectively. There was no significant difference between two measurements.
3 Any differences in the coefficient variation for the mean values both within a subject and among subjects were recognized.
These results suggest that it would become possible to measure the cycle time accurately and to observe the coordination of the four muscle activities by using the mean integration curve of EMG without the suckgraph.
