EMG & Breathing Software Application User Guide
Contents
1. Checking Add notes to report top right of the dialog allows you to do this You may wish to add notes after having first seen the report In this case simply click the button 2 in figure 1 again and check the Add notes option This will regenerate the report with your added notes 5 3 Sample Session Report Training Session Report Training Application EMG with Breathing User Name Default User Session Date 24 05 14 19 42 Breathing Rate 20 Breaths Per Minute pa oO RNAP 0 50 100 150 200 250 Session Time in Seconds Inhalation to Exhalation Ratio 14 a 0 8 LE Ratio 0 6 0 4 0 2 0 50 100 150 200 250 Session Time in Seconds EMG with Breathing Application User Guide copyright Glyn Blackett page 17 Max and Min EMG Per Breath EMG in uV CE 0 50 100 150 200 250 Session Time in Seconds Chest Score Chest Score Session Time in Seconds Breathing Summary Data Parameter Mean Max Min S D Breathing Rate 10 8 bpm 17 3bpm 2 4bpm 3 4 bpm LE Ratio 0 9 1 32 0 16 0 18 Minimum EMG 2 6 uV 5 3 uV 0 8 uV 1 8 uV Maximum EMG 3 8 uV 11 1 uV 1 5 uV 2 2 uV Chest Score 1 2 uV 7 0 uV 0 3 uV 1 3 uV EMG with Breathing Application User Guide copyright Glyn Blackett 6 Application Report An application report summarises all the sessions for the currently selected user in charts and a table To generate and open an application re2. mentioned earlier that where we place the sensors determines which muscles contribute to the measurement A convenient placement for breathing training is on the wrists This picks up muscle tension in the hands arms shoulders and to some extent even upper chest and even neck but not the diaphragm That means that with the wrist placement chest based breathing shows up as a prominent undulation in the signal as tension rises on the in breath and falls on the out breath By contrast abdominal breathing shows as a relatively stable flat trace Another placement useful for monitoring breathing involves one active sensor sited over the scalene muscle and the other active over the trapezius muscle This placement is less convenient and requires some anatomical knowledge Another common placement used in EMG biofeedback is the forehead frontalis muscle This placement doesn t generally have any relevance to breathing It is covered in more depth in the Basic EMG Application User Guide 3 4 Derived EMG Parameters By analysing the EMG signal in relation to the cycle of the breath the application derives the following parameters e Minimum EMG at the beginning of each inhalation the software registers the minimum EMG over the preceding breath cycle e Maximum EMG at the beginning of each exhalation the software registers the maximum EMG over the preceding breath cycle e Chest score the difference between the above two calcu
3. not to supplant them Achieving low muscle tension is not necessarily the most important thing Biofeedback should enhance or expand your subjective awareness rather than detract from it The guide assumes that you have read the Software Installation and Set up Guide and therefore know how to start the application The application works with several devices For an up to date list of supported hardware please see the York Biofeedback website 2 Launching the Application y York Biofeedback Software Mind Body Training Tools Set up eee Selected Trainee Default User Heart Rate Variability HEG Neurofeedback Basic EMG Application EMG amp Breathing Application Start Basic EMG Application 1 p Start EMG amp Breathing Application Breathing View Basic EMG Session Report 2 Er View EMG amp Breathing Session Report EMG Muscle Tension View Basic EMG Application Report 3 Ee View EMG amp Breathing Application Report GSR amp Skin Temperature Documentation Documentation Capnometry Basic EMG Application User Guide EMG amp Breathing Application User Guide EEG Assessment Impedance Checking EEG Training Start Battery and Impedance Check Application YORK BIOFEEDBACK MIND BODY TRAINING TOOLS www york biofeedback co uk ING Figure 1 EMG Tab of the Platform application Figure 1 above shows the Muscle Tension EMG tab of the Platform application Press the button labelled 1 to launch the application Make
4. combo box control 4 in figure 8 The options are listed in the table below Between Two limits are used the condition is met whenever the parameter is both below the upper limit and above the lower limit Outside Two limits are used the condition is met whenever the parameter is either above the upper limit or below the lower limit Above A single limit is used the condition is met when the parameter is above this Below A single limit is used the condition is met when the parameter is below this Off The threshold will not be active Use this option if you re only interested in one of the two thresholds i e turn the one you re not interested in off As an example of how you might use threshold based feedback suppose you wish to maintain a steady breathing rate of around 6 breaths per minute with your baseline muscle tension remaining below a limit of say 2 microvolts Use threshold 1 to set the muscle tension condition Set its parameter to be Minimum EMG using control 2 then set its condition to be above then drag the level to around 2 Use threshold 2 to set the breathing rate condition Set its parameter to be breathing rate set its condition to be outside then drag the threshold levels so that the upper is say around 7 bpm and the lower is say around 5 bpm You will probably want to turn on audio feedback for the threshold feedback which is covered in the next section 4 1 6 Audio Feedback Controls Midi mi
5. session reports which are described in section 5 below Choosing a lower time period generates more data The setting also controls the level of averaging of the recorded data For example if you select 2 seconds then the application will write to the session data file once every two seconds the average EMG over that two second period The EMG and Breathing application also writes breathing data but the Epoch control does not affect this The button marked with a red asterisk is a simple event marker You can use it to mark adventitious happenings and changes in session conditions e g you turn on or off breath pacing It is particularly useful for coaches and therapists Events thus marked are represented in the long term chart see section 4 4 below by a vertical white line They are also recorded in the session data file and are shown in session report charts as dotted vertical lines see section 5 Note that pressing the escape key during a session has the same effect as pressing the red asterisk with your mouse i e it is an alternative 4 1 2 Short Term Display and Controls EMG Avg aa ST Ranges EMG Period 1 2 3 Figure 6 Short term displays and controls The chart figure 6 above shows EMG magenta and breath green yellow The following combo box controls positioned below the charts 1 to 3 in figure 6 control the display of the signal EMG Average Controls t
6. to green when you press the play button If you don t see this happen it means that the application has not been able to establish a connection with your device Check it is plugged in and that the batteries are not flat For some devices you ll see a button rather than just text Pressing this button opens up a dialog that allows you to adjust settings related to the device such as COM port The specifics depend on the device see the Hardware Set up Guide for more details If you re using different devices for measuring EMG and breath you ll see two buttons labelled 1 and 2 and also two lamps Clicking the buttons allows you to configure device settings 1 for the EMG device and 2 for the breath device For some device types there are no settings to configure so the buttons are inactive Again the lamps should turn green when the devices start the left for the EMG device and the right for the breath device 3 Physiological Parameters 3 1 Input Parameters 3 1 1 Electromyography EMG Muscle Tension As noted in the introduction EMG is a measure of muscle tension actually an electrical correlate of muscle tension More specifically EMG is an oscillating voltage For practical purposes you don t need to concern yourself with the oscillating nature of the signal but it is covered in more detail in the Basic EMG Application User Guide To measure EMG we need to attach three sensors to the skin Two of these are know
7. used as the basis of audio feedback section 4 1 6 3 3 Muscle Tension in Breathing This section discusses how muscle tension biofeedback can be used in relation to breathing As noted in the introduction different styles of breathing reflect different mental and emotional states The aim of the application is to help you move towards breathing physiology that is more supportive of qualities of mind associated with meditation But what distinguishes different styles of breathing We can say that the three parameters listed in section 3 2 do so but in addition we can point to which muscles are used and how 3 3 1 Breathing Muscles Many muscles may be involved in breathing In general they tighten on the in breath and release on the out breath The main muscle groups are The diaphragm this is a sheet of muscle that separates the abdomen from the chest It s attached to the spine at the back and lower ribs at the front When relaxed it 1s shaped like a dome or a parachute and when it tightens it pulls down drawing air into the lungs The intercostal muscles these lie between the ribs and when tightened they collectively lift the rib cage upwards and outwards drawing air into the lungs Upper chest muscles shoulders and even some neck muscles unlike the diaphragm and intercostals these are designed more as reserve breathing capacity needed for e g aerobic exercise Again unlike the diaphragm and intercost
8. YORK BIOFEEDBAC K www york biofeedback co uk Glyn Blackett EMG amp Breath Software Application User Guide Table of Contents Ja iee a 6 EA no ea ea oe ne ee ee 2 2 Launching the e s st 11 04 nen er ee nea ee ae eee eee 3 2 1 Hardware SEIU D sca iecxantenniniconavadsieiteund besethGnagdiivastaiwcesseteeicuematareeietans 3 3 Physiological Parameters cccccccsecsecseececeseceeceeteeseceeeaeeeeseeeaeeceeteeeueseeeeeegs 4 3 Input FAP AMISTON S sianiisuccsrevnsicesienstecansntiaeavdunntdnendtoiustesueendeslndssiaianawensensea 4 3 1 1 Electromyography EMG Muscle Tension cccceeeeeeee 4 pene Neg ee ed crt eine oe age teen ee pantech oataateeeu A selentece saveel 4 3 1 2 1 Breathing Calibration cccccccccccceeceeeeceneeceeeeseeeeseeeeeneesaees 4 3 1 2 2 Manual RE CAlDIatiOn ac ccaccicenteravercewncvstevesceccessessatasetererececess 4 3 2 Derived Breathing Parameters ccccccecceccsecsecseeceeceeseeceeseeseeseeaeaeees 5 3 3 Muscle Tension in Breathing cccccceccecceeceeceeeeeceeeesseececeeeeaeeeeeeaees 5 ro Aro AM t Breathing ALE OS 2 6 3 3 1 1 Abdominal EXO ALMING sasaasnzntesaenssinsabennaacevaneatenvaakhnisessnaregawa tans 6 3 3 1 2 Chest based Breathing cccccccccssscecseeeeeeseeseeeseeesseseeseeees 6 3 3 2 Sensor PlaceMentS cc ccc eccece ee eseeeeseeeevaeeeseeevaeeueeeeeueeaes 6 3 4 Derived EMG Parametels cc cccccccc c
9. als they will become fatigued with continuous use Other muscles may join in in subtle ways with the breathing movements that really aren t necessary for breathing e g nostrils may flare 3 3 1 1 Abdominal Breathing Relaxed breathing should only involve the diaphragm and intercostals especially the diaphragm The breath appears and feels like it s coming from the belly Generally the breathing rate is slow This natural and instinctive style is what you see in a sleeping baby 3 3 1 2 Chest based Breathing In stressful situations muscles everywhere tend to tighten up including the breathing muscles as though we needed to literally brace ourselves against some threat This affects the breath we tend to take more air in and then not let it out fully Think of the startle response as an exaggerated form of this tendency there is a sharp intake of breath and then hold it This pattern leads to the upper chest and shoulder muscles becoming more involved having not let go of the previous breath we are forced to use these muscles to take more air in In many people this style of breathing has become habitual to the point where muscles may even become painful because of fatigue In reality abdominal breathing and chest based breathing are two poles on a spectrum rather than distinct categories 3 3 2 Sensor Placements We can use EMG to highlight the difference between chest based and abdominal breathing I
10. ange of 0 to 2 Threshold 1 The pitch varies with the parameter that is selected for threshold 1 1 e in control 3 in figure 8 The pitch range 1s mapped to a parameter range defined by the two threshold levels in threshold 1 the advantage of this option is that you can adjust the levels to precisely control the parameter range and thus the sensitivity of the feedback This only makes sense if you have two threshold levels visible so you should select outside for the threshold condition control 4 in figure 8 Threshold 2 This option works in the same way as the threshold 1 option above except using the threshold 2 controls 4 1 6 2 Breath Tone When this option is turned on a tone is played which follows the breath The pitch gently ascends and descends in pitch for each inhalation exhalation respectively Each breath has a relatively narrow range in pitch The tone sounds during the movement of the breath and falls silent at the turning points This form of feedback is very useful if you are using the breath as the focus of your meditation At an overarching level the pitch varies with the selected feedback parameter the lower the parameter value the deeper the pitch The combo box 4 in figure 9 allows you to choose which parameter to use as the basis of feedback The choices are the same as for midi feedback listed in the above table except for EMG The same range controls apply 4 1 6 3 Threshold Th
11. ation part of York Biofeedback s Mind Body Training Tools suite This set of applications is designed to develop skills in mind body awareness and self regulation particularly in a context of mindfulness and meditation practice The guide has two purposes firstly to explain how muscle tension and breathing are measured and secondly to teach you how to use the software though it is more of a reference than a tutorial Other training material is available on the York Biofeedback website address above The EMG amp Breathing application monitors firstly breathing via temperature of the inhaled and exhaled air and secondly EMG which is an electrical correlate of muscle tension Monitoring the two together allows you to explore their relationship and to objectively characterise the style of breathing EMG is measured using sensors in contact with the skin By selecting the placement of the sensors we can choose to monitor different sets of muscles This guide discusses the most commonly used placements The feedback creates an opportunity to develop greater awareness of and sensitivity to our physiological states and therefore to our mental states Based on this awareness we can learn to embody styles of breathing more supportive of the qualities of mind we wish to develop such as openness tranquillity and emotional positivity In keeping with others in the suite the EMG amp Breathing application was designed to support your aims
12. ble breath detection during a session e g you have to remove and reattach the sensor there is a way to recover in the support window there is a button labelled Calibrate that you simply press You should breathe naturally and evenly and not too slowly for a few breaths prior to pressing If this doesn t work you can stop and restart the application Generally the breath detection once established is very reliable and you should not need to re calibrate during normal use fee igh Exhale Low Inhale 12 15 Figure 3 A well calibrated breathing signal Figure 3 shows you what a well calibrated breath signal looks like in the support window The upper trace is the temperature of inhaled exhaled air while the middle trace is its first derivative or gradient The yellow dotted lines are thresholds used for the detection of the breath turning points They should be reasonably far apart but close enough to the centre that the trace will easily and consistently cross to register a turning point 3 2 Derived Breathing Parameters From the detection of the breath turning points the software calculates e breathing rate and average breathing rate the averaging period is 1 minute e the ratio between the durations of the inhalation phase and exhalation phase of the breath This is shortened to I E Ratio or simply I E A 1 minute average is also calculated These two are shown in the long term display figure 7 and can be
13. cc ececeeceeeeseeeeseeeusaeeesaeeesavavavanenans 7 3 4 1 Limitations of the Chest Score Parameter cc eee T 4 User gd Cl ne ee eae ea eee cee 8 A NIN ON NE aie cern sppege cts nese ce ati ncale Sse EE aE 8 4 1 1 Standard Controls Start Stop etc cee eec ee eeeeeeeeeees 8 4 1 2 Short Term Display and Controls cccccccceceececeeceeeeeeeeeeeeees 9 4 1 3 Numeric DISPIAYS ccc cece cee eeceeceeceeceececeeseeceeeeeeeeeeaeeeeaes 10 4 1 4 Long Term Displays and Controls cccccccecceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 10 4 1 5 Threshold Display and Controls ccccccecceeceeeeceeeeceeeeeeeeees 11 4 1 6 Audio Feedback Controls cccceeeseeeeseeeeseeeeseeeeeenenanes 12 EREN a geese vs AE E E as tanec E N E as oon eevee 12 4 1 6 2 Breath TONG oar ecacateosnwe Saidaancudn sebidiveniiaws E E aa iia 13 MECMUA E as EET A A TE A EA 13 By NOON isaidie ai A NNi 15 TEE RSM E E ENTE E E A E EN 16 SN NS E E E E E eae ode E E E 16 5 2 Adding Notes to a Report an0ananononnananononnnnnnrnnnnnnrnrnrrnrnrnrnrererrnrnne 16 5 3 Sample Session Report rasrasan naanin ei a a 17 EMG with Breathing Application User Guide copyright Glyn Blackett Ing page 1 6 Application REDOrt cc cccccccccceececeeceeceeceeeeeeeeeesneceeeeceecsetseeueeegeseeseeeeeesenates 19 ALFE INS rE EEEE EORNA EEEE 19 1 Introduction This guide introduces the Electromyography EMG amp Breathing biofeedback applic
14. ely high A further limitation is that movements unrelated to breathing will skew the chest score to an artificially high value 4 User Interface When you first start the application from the Platform you will see two windows The main window is shown in figure 5 below while the support window is shown later figure 10 The support window allows you to check that breath detection is working properly see the discussion of breath calibration in section 3 1 2 I expect that most users will rarely need to make reference to it 4 1 Main Window 1 Standard Controls 2 Short Term Display Be ETI EMG B Maan Ol 05 16 SE Epoch 2s York Biot Iback wrerw york biofeedback co uk Simulator EMG Avg zN sila EMG l Pened 905 A fila EMG fiou Rae 20bpm LT Peed B m es 4 GE n e gare Lowe oe yy Threshold r Rate o EU i m 3 Numeric lt Displays Midi tin enc AG jm Breath Tone thresnc gt P p Threshold P E 5 Long Term Display 6 Audio Controls Figure 5 Main window This section explains how to configure the controls in the main window 4 1 1 Standard Controls Start Stop etc A set of buttons Play Stop and Pause are the same in all the applications in the suite They should be self explanatory The Epoch control sets the time period at which EMG data is written to the session data file This data file is used to generate
15. he level of smoothing of the EMG signal With a shorter average you will see all the fine grained changes in muscle tension With a longer average these are smoothed out and the signal will be slightly slower in responding to change For most users a setting of 1 0 or 2 0 seconds will be suitable EMG Range Sets the upper limit of the display The lower limit 1s always zero Select a larger range if the magenta EMG trace appears to be off the top of the chart If you can t see the trace it probably is off the top Select a lower range as you learn to reduce tension so that the display offers greater sensitivity meaning that even subtle changes in muscle tension can be seen Period This controls the length of time it takes for the traces to traverse the whole chart from right to left or in other words the horizontal range Note there is no vertical range control for the breath signal This should automatically be adjusted to fit the display during the calibration process If it goes off the top or bottom it means recalibration is needed Use the recalibrate button in the support window as described section 3 1 2 Each breath starts from the same point on the vertical axis sometimes you see this as jumps in the signal 4 1 3 Numeric Displays These are positioned close to the bottom of the window just above the audio feedback controls Averages are calculated over a 60 second interval 4 1 4 Long Term Displays and Con
16. he lower limit is crossed then file 6 wav is played For all other threshold conditions file 4 wav is played You can have the application play sounds of your choice by simply substituting these files with your own For example you could record a message in your own voice There are lots of programs that you can use to do this such as Audacity a freeware application Your recording needs to be saved in WAV format 4 2 Support Window Figure 10 shows the support window It displays the raw temperature signal together with various aspects of the breath detection method see section 3 1 2 The two lamp displays at the bottom shown turned off will flash briefly whenever the application detects 1 beginning of the exhalation left lamp and 11 beginning of the inhalation right lamp Press the Calibrate button to recalibrate the breath as described in section 3 1 2 Ayx Second BioEra 3 151 EMG_B_Main s Exhale a on a Sines 1 5 degra 5 LAU 0 75 Calibrate 1 22 049 W 17 0 77 B Figure 10 support window The charts show aspects of the calculation of the breath s turning points In the bottom left is the button used to recalibrate the breath see section 3 1 2 5 Session Reports The application records data so that you can generate a report for your sessions The report contains summary data and graphs showing the progression of the feedback parameters over the whole session To ge
17. ion to restart processing so it is better to make your choice before you start your session The pitch varies over a parameter range set by other controls see the table below for details The lower the parameter the deeper the midi note For most parameters a note 1s triggered once per breath You can set some options for midi feedback notably the instrument piano by default from the Platform i e before starting the application See the Installation and Set up Guide for further details EMG The pitch of the midi note varies with EMG A note is played 4 times per second The pitch range is mapped to the EMG range selected in the LT display control for 1 in figure 7 Min EMG The pitch varies with the minimum EMG A note is triggered at the beginning of each inhalation The pitch range is mapped to the EMG range selected in the LT display control 1 in figure 7 Max EMG The pitch varies with the maximum EMG A note is triggered at the beginning of each exhalation The pitch range is mapped to the EMG range selected in the LT display control 1 in figure 7 Br Rate The pitch varies with breathing rate The pitch range is mapped to a parameter range defined by the breathing rate range control in the long term chart 2 in figure 7 actually this sets the upper limit while the lower limit 1s fixed at 3 0 bpm I E Ratio The pitch varies with inhalation to exhalation ratio The pitch range is mapped to a fixed parameter r
18. lated once per breath In chest based breathing there 1s a relatively large difference between minimum and maximum EMG over the breath cycle while in abdominal breathing the difference is relatively low So chest score is an indicator of the degree of chest based breathing In figure 4 below the magenta trace is a wrist placement derived EMG signal showing a prominent chest based breathing rhythm The green yellow trace 1s breath Breath ampl Figure 4 Chest score calculation You can see how the software derives the above parameters at the beginning of the exhalation phase of the breath A the previous maximum is noted A then at the beginning of the inhalation B the previous minimum is noted B The difference between A and B is chest sore you can think of it as a kind of amplitude in the breath wave 3 4 1 Limitations of the Chest Score Parameter Chest score is by no means a perfect measure of chest based breathing it s important you understand its limitations Chest score will be high when the subject takes large breaths and relaxes the chest and shoulder muscles by letting the breath right out again But there 1s another form of chest breathing involving quick shallow breaths In this case the EMG doesn t change much over the cycle of each breath so the chest score will be relatively low On the other hand the application will still show this style of breathing because the EMG itself is relativ
19. n as the active sensors From the raw signal the software derives a parameter that reflects tension in muscles between and to some extent around about the two active sensors When these muscles tighten the signal goes up and then down again when they relax See the Hardware Set up Guide for more details on your device s sensors Clearly where we site the sensors determines which muscles we are measuring so placement is important 3 1 2 Breath The breath sensor is actually a temperature sensor placed just below the nostril From the changing temperature of inhaled and exhaled air the system is able to detect the turning points of the breath and therefore derive breathing rate This method depends on a reasonable current of air coming through the nostril It should still work if you breathe with your mouth open as long as your nose 1s not completely blocked Speech will disrupt the normal air current and will give rise to unreliable breathing calculations 3 1 2 1 Breathing Calibration The breath detection method requires a short period of time to calibrate to your breath This happens automatically during the first 20 seconds of any session i e after you press play It s important that you breathe naturally and evenly and not too slowly through the nose during this time Note that the breath signal will not display properly until proper calibration is established 3 1 2 2 Manual Re calibration If for any reason you lose relia
20. neme gt s Breath Tone threshoia2 gt m Threshold gt 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 Figure 9 Audio feedback controls Audio feedback allows you to use the application with eyes closed useful in meditation practice You can choose how much and how often the feedback is activated and thus how intrusive it is The controls figure 9 are found at the bottom of the main window There are three forms of audio feedback available With each you can choose which physiological parameter to base the feedback on Each has an on off button appearing as green triangles 2 5 amp 7 in figure 9 but switching to red squares when the feedback is turned on Each also has an independent volume control sliders 3 6 and 8 in figure 9 graded on a scale of 0 100 For midi and breath tone feedback it is necessary to use a range of the feedback parameter just as for graphical feedback The range defines what values of the parameter correspond to the highest and lowest notes available Rather than creating separate controls the ranges are taken from the graphical range controls details are given in the tables below 4 1 6 1 Midi When midi feedback is turned on a musical note is played repeatedly whose pitch varies with the chosen feedback parameter The combo box 1 in figure 9 controls the parameter used You can choose from those listed in the table below Note that changing the selected parameter causes the applicat
21. nerate and open a session report click the button labelled 2 in figure 1 A dialog window opens in which you can select various options see figure 11 The software creates the report in html format It will be opened using your computer s default web browser e g Internet Explorer Note that a live internet connection is not needed The html file is saved so you can for example email it to someone See the Installation and Set up Guide for details of file storage Report Options Overwrite existing report Add notes to report EMG Breathing 4 Mark data points EMG axis from zero Maximum EMG Amplitude 72 yy Maximum Chest Score 4 Figure 11 Report options 5 1 Report Options Most of the options should be self explanatory If you change your mind about options on seeing your report you can regenerate the report by clicking the report button 2 in figure 1 then checking Overwrite existing report top left in the dialog Options relating to either EMG data or breathing data are found under separate tabs Combo box controls allow you to set maximum values for several of the parameters Setting a maximum 1s a basic way of excluding artefacts for example if you changed your posture during the session causing the EMG signal to go much higher than baseline Data points exceeding the maximum value are excluded 5 2 Adding Notes to a Report You can choose to write some notes for your session report
22. our desired psychophysiological state In the EMG with Breathing application there are two threshold displays so the software can flag when either one of two parameters goes out of range For example you Figure 8 Threshold displays and controls can set it to flag either when your breathing rate becomes too fast or your muscle tension rises too high Threshold 1 Min EMG Hs ri 2 3 4 5 6 Threshold 1 is to the left of the long term display and shown in figure 8 while threshold 2 is to the right not shown The controls for each are functionally equivalent In practice the important feedback from the threshold is auditory e g a bell ring The audio aspects are covered more in section 4 1 6 below Further to this a lamp lights up when the threshold condition is met 2 in figure 8 The bar graph has either one or two movable levels one is shown in figure 8 labelled 1 which define the threshold limits To change these limits simply drag the bars with your mouse The numeric displays 5 and 6 show the settings The bar graph s range is taken from the long term display controls For each of the two thresholds you can choose which parameter to base feedback on e g minimum EMG using the combo box control 3 in figure 8 in the case of threshold 1 The combined options are EMG minimum EMG chest score breathing rate and I E ratio You can set different conditions to be met for the threshold event to be triggered via the
23. port click the button labelled 3 in figure 1 A dialog window opens in which you can select various options see figure 12 As with session reports the software creates the application report in html format It will be opened using your computer s default web browser e g Internet Explorer Note that a live internet connection is not needed The html file is saved so you can for example email it to someone See the Installation and Set up Guide for details of file storage Report Options Show V Max V Min V Mean EMG Breathing 4 Mark data points EMG axis from zero Maximum EMG Amplitude 12 yy Maximum Chest Score 4 Figure 12 Report options 6 7 Report Options The application report options dialog is an adapted version of the session report options dialog Many of the options are the same and should be self explanatory See section 5 1 above As with all of the application reports in the suite there is a chart for each of the main parameters tracked in the application in the case of the EMG and Breathing application that means breathing rate inhalation to exhalation ratio minimum EMG per breath maximum EMG per breath and chest score For each chart you can opt for line graphs for the maximum minimum mean and standard deviation The line graphs have one point per session
24. reshold based feedback was introduced in section 4 1 5 above When this option is activated a sound is played whenever either of the threshold conditions is met You can choose to deactivate either of the thresholds so that the feedback sound only relates to one You can configure the two thresholds as described in section 4 1 5 to summarise you can set the parameter the threshold condition e g above or below the level and also drag the bars in the display to control the threshold limits The value of using the threshold is that the feedback 1s generally less intrusive freeing you to focus on your direct experience The feedback only comes in when you ve drifted out of your desired psychophysiological zone For the sound the software actually plays back a recorded file This is one of a set of files found in the media folder in the capnometry designs sub folder 1 e generally speaking C Program Files BioEraPro design Y BF EMG Breathing media There are six files named 1 wav 2 wav and 3 wav etc 1 to 3 apply to threshold 1 while 4 to 6 apply to threshold 2 If the threshold 1 condition is set to outside and the upper threshold is exceeded then file 2 wav 1s played or else if the lower limit is crossed then file 3 wav is played For all other threshold conditions file l wav is played If the threshold 2 condition is set to outside and the upper threshold is exceeded then file 5 wav is played or else if t
25. sure you have your BioEra licence key dongle inserted into a USB socket After a few seconds two new windows will appear on your screen 2 1 Hardware Set up The physical aspects of hardware set up how to connect and use your sensors how to test impedances etc are dependent upon the type of amplifier you are using and are covered in a separate document Hardware Set up Guide Before you start the application you configure the device set up ioj x options accessible by clicking a button in the Set up tab of the Platform In the dialog select the type of amplifier biofeedback ER device you are using firstly in the EMG source control and Device GP8 W secondly in the breath source control Note all the source L e settings are remembered the next time you start the Platform In the same dialog you should select the frequency of your local mains e g 50Hz in the UK See the Installation and Set up Guide for further details of device set up Figure 2 amplifier status You may select Simulator in each of the source controls In simulator mode you can learn how to use the software without the encumbrance of actually sampling the breath The application simply uses recorded data as a source Once you have started the application you should see your device selection reflected in the device status display in the top right corner of the main window see figure 2 The lamp shown as a red square in figure 2 should change
26. trols 1 2 3 LT Ranges EMG DI B Rate mk LT Period T i E hin EMG Max EMG Breathing Rate LE Rata amp Event Marker Figure 7 Long term display and controls The long term chart figure 7 shows breathing rate in blue inhalation to exhalation ratio in red and maximum and minimum EMG in dark and light magenta respectively The controls combo boxes are positioned above the chart 1 to 3 in figure 7 EMG Controls the vertical range of both the maximum and minimum EMG traces dark and light magenta respectively You can see this range displayed if you click on either of the magenta squares Br Rate Controls the vertical range of the blue breathing rate trace Click the blue square upper left of chart to see this range displayed in the chart LT Period Controls the horizontal time range Note that the red I E ratio trace has a fixed range of 0 to 2 The bold line in the centre of the chart is at 1 0 meaning that when the red trace is below the line the exhalation phase lasts longer than the inhalation phase usually desirable 4 1 5 Threshold Display and Controls The essence of threshold based feedback is that a discrete feedback event such as a bell ring is triggered whenever the feedback parameter exceeds some limit The value of using the threshold 1s that the feedback is doesn t require constant attention freeing you to focus on your direct experience The feedback only comes in when you ve drifted out of y
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search