electromyogram
Noun: A graphical record (a chart or tracing) of the electrical currents or activity produced by muscle fibers during contraction and at rest. It is the output of a diagnostic procedure called electromyography (EMG).
An electromyogram is a medical diagnostic tool. It is used by healthcare professionals, primarily neurologists and physiatrists, to assess the health of muscles and the nerve cells (motor neurons) that control them. The procedure measures the electrical activity in response to a nerve's stimulation of the muscle.
- The neurologist ordered an electromyogram to determine if the patient's weakness was due to a muscle disease or a nerve disorder.
- The electromyogram showed abnormal spontaneous activity, indicating possible nerve damage.
- Interpreting an electromyogram requires specialized training.
- The term is often used in its abbreviated form, EMG, in both clinical and research settings (e.g., "The patient had an EMG test").
- In academic writing, it is commonly part of phrases like "electromyogram signals," "electromyogram data," or "surface electromyogram" (sEMG), which refers to a non-invasive recording technique using electrodes on the skin.
- Electromyography (EMG) (n.): The diagnostic technique or process of recording an electromyogram.
- Electromyographic (adj.): Relating to electromyography or an electromyogram (e.g., electromyographic findings).
- Myogram (n.): A record of muscular contraction. An electromyogram is a specific type of myogram that records electrical activity.
- EMG (n.): The standard abbreviation and synonym in medical contexts.
- Muscle electrical activity record (n.): A descriptive synonym.
The word "electromyogram" has a single, specific meaning in medical and physiological contexts. It does not have common idiomatic or figurative uses. Its meaning is directly tied to its components: electro- (electric), myo- (muscle), and -gram (a record or writing).
- a graphical record of electric currents associated with muscle contractions