{"id":{"repo_id":"brock","oai_identifier":"oai:brocku.scholaris.ca:10464/19860"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/brock/oai:brocku.scholaris.ca:10464/19860","repository":{"repo_id":"brock","name":"Brock University","base_url":"https://brocku.scholaris.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Investigating Forearm Muscle Activity Across Violin String Heights","abstract":"The purpose of this work was to evaluate differences in forearm and upper trapezius muscle activity and co-contraction indices during performance of a four-octave G-major scale on two identical violins with a low and a high string height. Surface electromyography was collected from six forearm muscles and bilaterally from the upper trapezius. While seated in a comfortable position, participants performed five trials of the scale on each violin at 60 beats per minute, with two-minute rest periods between trials. Mean and peak muscle activity, as well as co-contraction indices were analyzed. The high string condition elicited significantly higher mean and peak activity than the low string violin, as well as higher co-contraction indices for the FDS-EDC pair. Hand position also influenced muscle activity independent of the condition, with the higher hand positions associated with increased demands. These findings suggest that increased string height and hand position place greater physical demands on violinists, which may in turn contribute to injury risk.","abstract_html":"The purpose of this work was to evaluate differences in forearm and upper trapezius muscle activity and co-contraction indices during performance of a four-octave G-major scale on two identical violins with a low and a high string height. Surface electromyography was collected from six forearm muscles and bilaterally from the upper trapezius. While seated in a comfortable position, participants performed five trials of the scale on each violin at 60 beats per minute, with two-minute rest periods between trials. Mean and peak muscle activity, as well as co-contraction indices were analyzed. The high string condition elicited significantly higher mean and peak activity than the low string violin, as well as higher co-contraction indices for the FDS-EDC pair. Hand position also influenced muscle activity independent of the condition, with the higher hand positions associated with increased demands. These findings suggest that increased string height and hand position place greater physical demands on violinists, which may in turn contribute to injury risk.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Nikitin, Sophia"],"institution":"Brock University","degree_name":"M.Sc. Applied Health Sciences","degree_level":"Master","degree_discipline":"Faculty of Applied Health Sciences","degree_department":"Applied Health Sciences Program","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Holmes, Michael","Gabriel, David"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025","date_published":"2025","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:23:05Z","subjects":["Biomechanics","Electromyography","Ergonomics","Violin Performance","Injury Risk"],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10464/19860","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Holmes, Michael","Gabriel, David"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Applied Health Sciences Program"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Nikitin, Sophia"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-11-17T15:45:24Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Brock University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Faculty of Applied Health Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.Sc. 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While seated in a comfortable position, participants performed five trials of the scale on each violin at 60 beats per minute, with two-minute rest periods between trials. Mean and peak muscle activity, as well as co-contraction indices were analyzed. The high string condition elicited significantly higher mean and peak activity than the low string violin, as well as higher co-contraction indices for the FDS-EDC pair. Hand position also influenced muscle activity independent of the condition, with the higher hand positions associated with increased demands. These findings suggest that increased string height and hand position place greater physical demands on violinists, which may in turn contribute to injury risk."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Investigating Forearm Muscle Activity Across Violin String Heights"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Holmes, Michael","Gabriel, David"],"dc:contributor.department":["Applied Health Sciences Program"],"dc:creator":["Nikitin, Sophia"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-11-17T15:45:24Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this work was to evaluate differences in forearm and upper trapezius muscle activity and co-contraction indices during performance of a four-octave G-major scale on two identical violins with a low and a high string height. Surface electromyography was collected from six forearm muscles and bilaterally from the upper trapezius. While seated in a comfortable position, participants performed five trials of the scale on each violin at 60 beats per minute, with two-minute rest periods between trials. Mean and peak muscle activity, as well as co-contraction indices were analyzed. The high string condition elicited significantly higher mean and peak activity than the low string violin, as well as higher co-contraction indices for the FDS-EDC pair. Hand position also influenced muscle activity independent of the condition, with the higher hand positions associated with increased demands. These findings suggest that increased string height and hand position place greater physical demands on violinists, which may in turn contribute to injury risk."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10464/19860"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Brock University"],"dc:subject":["Biomechanics","Electromyography","Ergonomics","Violin Performance","Injury Risk"],"dc:title":["Investigating Forearm Muscle Activity Across Violin String Heights"],"dc:type":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Faculty of Applied Health Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.Sc. Applied Health Sciences"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:23:05Z"}