EEGEMG

EEGEMG refers to the simultaneous recording of electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) signals during a single session. This combined modality enables clinicians and researchers to examine the relationship between brain activity and muscle activity with high temporal precision. EEG measures cortical electrical activity, while EMG records muscle signals via surface or intramuscular electrodes.

In practice, EEGEMG is commonly implemented in polysomnography and neurophysiological investigations. A standard setup includes a multi-channel scalp EEG cap, plus EMG electrodes placed on the chin to monitor muscle tone, and sometimes additional EMG leads on limbs or facial muscles depending on the study. Signals are synchronized and sampled at high rates to allow precise cross-reference of neural and muscular events. In sleep studies, EMG is critical for distinguishing REM sleep, which features reduced muscle tone, from non-REM stages, which show higher tone.

Applications extend to epilepsy monitoring, where EEG-EMG helps characterize seizure onset and spread and may reveal ictal motor manifestations. In movement disorder research, EMG can help quantify tremor and myoclonus and relate them to cortical activity. EEGEMG is also used in cognitive neuroscience experiments examining motor preparation and corticomuscular coupling.

Interpretation relies on time-locked analysis of EEG patterns (spikes, waves, sleep stages) with EMG changes (tonic activity, phasic bursts). It is subject to artifacts from eye movements, jaw clenching, electrical noise, and electrode impedance. EEG has limited spatial resolution, and EMG signals can be influenced by electrode placement and peripheral factors, requiring careful setup and artifact rejection.

Safety and quality control include proper skin preparation, impedance checks, and adherence to standard recording guidelines. EEGEMG data are often stored as part of polysomnography or EEG/EMG research protocols and analyzed with software capable of joint time–frequency and event-related analyses.