Measurement of uterine electrophysiological activity

Contractions of the uterus at term are controlled primarily by the spread of electrical activity throughout the connected structures of myometrial smooth muscle. Substantial progress has been made in measuring bioelectrical signals from the uterus using both electromyography and magnetomyography as a diagnostic for the onset of labor. In this review we survey the current progress of non-invasive measurement of electrical uterine signals and consider what recent advances in our knowledge of the underlying structure of the myometrium mean for their interpretation. It is likely that combining structural knowledge with both MMG and EMG activity will lead to further advances in diagnostic potential.