Surface electromyography in inspiratory muscles in adults and elderly individuals: A systematic review

Introduction: Electromyography (EMG) helps to evaluate disorders and pulmonary behavior, as impairments in respiratory muscle function are associated with the development of diseases. There is a wide range of methods and protocols used to record and analyze EMG obtained from respiratory muscles, demonstrating a lack of standardization.

Objective: To identify the most common procedures used to record surface EMG (sEMG) of inspiratory muscles in adults and elderly individuals through a systematic review (primary), and to evaluate the quality of the report presented by the studies (secondary).

Method: Studies published from January 1995 until June 2018 were searched for in the Web of Science, PubMed, LILACS, EBSCO and Embase databases. Only studies evaluating sEMG of inspiratory muscles were included.

Results: The electronic search retrieved a total of 6697 titles and 92 of them were included. A great variability on the methods applied to both recording and processing/analyzing data was found. Therefore, the synthesis of practical/clinical evidence to support immediate recommendations was impaired. In general, the descriptions presented by the studies are poor.

Conclusion: The most common procedures used for sEMG were identified. Methodological studies with objective comparisons were fundamental for improving standardization, given the impossibility of recommendations from this review.