É possível discriminar a preferência lateral por meio da eletromiografia? - Uma revisão sistemática de escopo

Abstract

The lateral preference or dominant side is the most frequent use of one side of the body, in the case of motor behavior, in performing a task. Given that electromyography (EMG) is a technique of monitoring electrical activity of the muscle, the purpose of this work was to identify, from the literature, properties related to muscle recruitment and its monitoring through this technique that could suggest evidence in discrimination of motor control between dominant and non-dominant sides. To compose this scope review, 30 articles were selected and taken from 9,479 studies found in the Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Lilacs and EBSCO databases. The following information was extracted: tool used to evaluate laterality, study design, analyzed body segment and type of electromyographic signal analysis and the relationship between EMG and the laterality found. For laterality evaluation, the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory was the most used for upper limbs, and the action “leg that kicks the ball” for lower limbs. In the study designs, the laterality evaluation was performed mostly on upper limbs, with a wide variety of muscles analyzed due to the different experimental protocols and research goals. Results with statistically significant differences in the EMG signal analysis patterns for the preferred side were found in twenty articles in the time domain, three in the frequency domain and three in invasive electromyography. The studies showed that the diagnosis of laterality by reading the EMG is related to the method of analysis used: integrated and normalized amplitude, gross signal amplitude, motor unit shooting, root mean square (RMS), and frequency content, as well as the nature of the tasks used in the studies (reaction time, static and dynamic task). In the time domain, significant results suggest a tendency of less magnitude of EMG amplitude in preferred upper limbs, suggesting a possible consolidation of these muscle groups by continuous use in daily activities. The RMS value presented greater proportion of results in this regard. In the frequency domain, the three articles presented significant results for the preferred side, showing less pronounced reduction in median frequency on upper limbs, and, also, suggesting a tendency to release more slowly and have less activation failure. Invasive EMG papers suggest a better adaptation of the preferred upper limb with better synchronization in firing rates and lower threshold for the motor unit recruitment in the upper limbs. EMG analyzes selected here were, mainly, for upper limbs and suggest better adaptation, with better synergies and a slowly tendency to fatigue on the preferential side. Muscle data analysis, such as biceps and first interiosity, tend to indicate this adjustment. In lower limbs, the three selected articles suggest that the shortest reaction time on the non-preferred side presented at EMG would be an adaptation as a form of protection on this side. Thus, it is concluded that discriminating laterality by EMG depends on the analysis method used.