Intermuscular coupling and collaboration of upper limb in overhead work

doi:10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2025.11.005

Journal of ZheJiang University (Engineering Science)

2025, Vol. 59

Issue (11): 2269-2276 DOI: 10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2025.11.005

Intermuscular coupling and collaboration of upper limb in overhead work

Yanpu YANG(

),Wenhao MENG,Zhihong WU,Jialing LIU,Yueming ZHUO

Key Laboratory of Road Construction Technology and Equipment of MOE, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China

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Abstract

An overhead work experiment was designed based on the maintenance of a certain complex piece of equipment in order to explore the intermuscular coupling and synergy characteristics of upper limb muscles during overhead work at different heights. This experiment aimed to inform the design of assistive devices and task improvements. Surface electromyography (sEMG) data were collected from eight upper limb channels in 12 participants as they performed overhead work at three distinct heights: level with the top of the head (H₁), 5 cm above the head (H₂), and 10 cm above the head (H₃). Generalized partial directed coherence (GPDC) was used to calculate the coherence values among the eight muscles, revealing the global coupling characteristics at different heights. Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) was applied to analyze muscle synergy patterns and the synergistic muscles associated with each task height. Complex network analysis was employed to construct muscle functional networks at different heights, enabling a quantitative analysis of network connectivity characteristics. Results indicated that the trapezius and deltoid muscles exhibited the highest coupling with other muscles across the three heights. The optimal number of synergy patterns was two, with synergy pattern 1 primarily dominating the task and synergy pattern 2 serving as a supplementary role. Height H₁ demonstrated better coupling and synergy of upper limb muscles compared to H₂ and H₃.

Key words： overhead work intermuscular coordination intermuscular coupling generalized partial directed coherence (GPDC) nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) surface electromyography complex network

Received: 05 November 2024 Published: 30 October 2025

CLC:

TP 391

Fund: 基础加强计划技术领域基金资助项目(2021-JCJQ-JJ-1018)；长安大学中央高校基金资助项目(300102253107).

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	Yanpu YANG
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	Yueming ZHUO

Cite this article:

Yanpu YANG,Wenhao MENG,Zhihong WU,Jialing LIU,Yueming ZHUO. Intermuscular coupling and collaboration of upper limb in overhead work. Journal of ZheJiang University (Engineering Science), 2025, 59(11): 2269-2276.

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https://www.zjujournals.com/eng/10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2025.11.005 OR https://www.zjujournals.com/eng/Y2025/V59/I11/2269

过头作业上肢肌间耦合及协同

为了探究不同高度下过头作业上肢肌肉间的耦合和协同特性，指导辅助装置设计与作业改善，结合某复杂装备的维修设计过头作业实验，采集12名被试者在不同过头作业高度下（超过头顶0 cm（H₁）、5 cm（H₂）、10 cm（H₃））的上肢8通道表面肌电（SEMG）信号. 利用广义偏定向相干性(GPDC)计算8块肌肉之间的相干性值，得到不同高度下8块肌肉的全局耦合特性. 通过非负矩阵分解（NMF），解析不同高度下过头作业的肌肉协同模式及协同肌肉. 利用复杂网络建立不同高度下的肌肉功能网络，定量分析肌肉功能网络的连接特性. 研究结果表明，3种不同高度下斜方肌和三角肌与其他肌肉的耦合度最高. 最佳协同模式数均为2，且由协同模式1为主导，协同模式2为辅助完成过头作业. 相较于H₂和H₃，H₁高度的上肢肌间耦合及协同性更好.

关键词： 过头作业, 肌间协同, 肌间耦合, 广义偏定向相干性（GPDC）, 非负矩阵分解（NMF）, 表面肌电, 复杂网络

Fig.1 Distribution of upper limb muscles in sEMG acquisition experiment

Fig.2 Ratio of PDC area to total area of each upper limb muscle at H₃ height

Fig.3 VAF value at different height

Fig.4 Muscle activation coefficient of each synergistic mode at different height after NMF decomposition

Fig.5 Basis matrix of various synergy mode at different height after NMF decomposition

Fig.6 Intermuscular synergy at different height

Tab.1 Formalization results of total information output of upper limb muscle

Fig.7 Muscle functional network at different height

Tab.8 Network parameter at different height


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