Journal of musculoskeletal & neuronal interactions最新文献

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of fatigue on the coordination variability between the trunk, pelvis, and hips during treadmill running.

Methods: The kinematics data were recorded during ten successive treadmill steps running at the preferred speed and at 80% and 120% of the preferred speed. The angle segment data obtained during the running cycles were normalized to 100 data points, and they were split into ten periods. The coordination variability was calculated using the continuous relative phase (CRP) and variability (VCRP) methods for the trunk, pelvic and hip segments before and after the fatigue protocol.

Results: The repeated measures analysis of variance showed significant differences in the trunk-pelvic and trunk-hip CRPs and in the CRP variability during the last 30% of the treadmill running cycles after fatigue (p≤0.05). In addition, significant differences were observed in the pelvic-hip CRP and the CRP variability in 40% of the initial treadmill running cycles after fatigue (p≤0.05).

Conclusion: According to the results of this study, fatigue reduces coordination and increases variability. The central nervous system probably exerts more control on the distal segments for maintaining moving patterns in fatigue conditions.

Objectives: To evaluate the intra-rater repeatability and the inter-rater reproducibility of using a virtual goniometer to measure upper and lower extremity joint range of motion (ROM) in youths with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC).

Methods: Youths presenting with AMC aged 8 to 21 years old were recruited. ROM of the upper and lower limbs were assessed remotely during a teleassessment on a video-conferencing platform. Screen captures were taken and ROM were measured by two raters, two-weeks apart, using a virtual goniometer. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and associated 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess intra-and inter-rater repeatability and reproducibility.

Results: Nine participants were included with a median age of 15.9 years (range: 11.3 to 20.8 years). The overall intra-rater ICC was 0.997 (95% CI:0.996 to 0.997) for the first rater and 0.993 (95% CI:0.992 to 0.994) for the second rater. The inter-rater ICC ranged from 0.410 (95% CI:-0.392; 0.753) for forearm pronation to 0.998 (95% CI:0.996; 0.999) for elbow flexion.

Conclusions: Results of the current study suggest that virtual goniometry is reproducible and repeatable for the ROM of most joints. Future studies should evaluate procedural reliability and validity of the proposed method for youth with complex conditions.

Objectives: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the acute effects of low-load blood flow restriction (LLBFR) and low-load (LL) resistance exercise on muscle excitation, neuromuscular efficiency, and average torque.

Methods: Eleven men (age±SD=22±3yrs) randomly performed LLBFR and LL that consisted of 30 unilateral leg extensions at 30% of one-repetition maximum while surface electromyography (sEMG) and torque were simultaneously assessed. Polynomial regression analyses and slope comparisons were performed to examine patterns of responses and rates of change.

Results: sEMG amplitude increased for LLBFR (9 of 11) and LL (8 of 11) and between composite responses (R²=0.939-0.981). For LLBFR, sEMG amplitude increased to a greater extent for 5 of the 11 individual and for the composite responses. Similarly, neuromuscular efficiency decreased for LLBFR (8 of 11) and LL (5 of 11) as well as the composite responses r²=0.902-0.929, but the decrease was larger for LLBFR than LL for the individual (4 of 11) responses. For average submaximal concentric torque, there were individual increases, decreases, and no changes for the composite responses (R²=0.198-0.325).

Conclusion: LLBFR elicited greater fatigue-induced increases in muscle excitation and decreases in neuromuscular efficiency than LL, but neither LLBFR nor LL affected average submaximal concentric torque.

Objectives: Skeletal muscle area (SMA) at T4 level on chest computed tomography (CT) is a newly available method that can be used as a surrogate sarcopenia marker. The objective of this study is to evaluate association of SMA with adverse COVID-19 outcomes in hospitalized patients.

Methods: Hospitalized COVID-19 patients were prospectively recorded in a database containing age, gender, date of admission, date of outcome (discharge, mortality, presence of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, additional coding information (comorbidities, superimposed conditions). Admission CT-scans were retrospectively evaluated for segmentation (bilateral pectoralis major/minor, erector spinae, levator scapulae, rhomboideus minor and major and transversospinalis muscles) and SMA calculation using 3-D slicer software.

Results: 167 cases were evaluated (68 male, 72 female, 140 survived, 27 dead). Muscle area was lower in patients with ICU stay (p=0.023, p=0.018, p=0.008) and mortality outcome (p=0.004, p=0.007, p=0.002) for pectoralis, back and SMA. In multivariate Cox-regression analysis, hazard ratio (HR) value for the pectoralis muscle area value below 2800 mm² was found to be 3.138(95% CI: 1.171-8.413) for mortality and 2.361(95% CI: 1.012-5.505) for ICU.

Conclusions: Pectoralis muscle area measured at T4 level with 3-D slicer was closely associated with adverse outcomes (mortality, ICU stay) in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Since early treatment methods for COVID-19 are being evaluated, this method may be a useful adjunct to clinical decision making in regard to prioritization.

This study aimed to review shoulder clinical and imaging findings in Parkinson's disease (PD), focusing on the significance of timely diagnosis and management of shoulder dysfunction in PD for the prevention of shoulder-related complications. A bibliographical search was employed, using "Parkinson's" and "Shoulder Dysfunction" as keywords. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging, twenty clinical and three US studies were selected as relevant to shoulder dysfunction in PD. Shoulder pain, frozen shoulder and arm swing asymmetry are the most prevalent clinical findings that may antedate cardinal PD symptoms. Supraspinatus tendon thickening or tearing, adhesive capsulitis, acromioclavicular changes, bursa and joint effusion are common shoulder MRI or US-detected abnormalities in mild or severe PD stages. Fractures due to falls or osteoporosis are secondary shoulder pathologies. Higher ipsilateral Unified Parkinson's Disease Rated Scale (UPDRS) scores, rigidity, tremor, and bradykinesia are associated with frozen shoulder. Disease duration, rigidity, and falls are contributing factors for tendon tears, adhesive capsulitis, and fractures respectively. When common symptoms, such as pain and frozen shoulder are unaccounted for by orthopedic or other local primary pathology, they might indicate underlying early PD. Timely diagnosis and appropriate early management of PD may, in turn, help delay or prevent shoulder-related complications.

Objectives: Balance disorders and falls are common in the elderly and have a multifactorial etiology. The purpose of the present cross-sectional study is to evaluate a possible association between vitamins D3 and B12 and impaired balance and falls.

Methods: Ninety patients, females and males, were evaluated, from December 2019 to December 2020 during their first ambulatory visit at the Prevention of Falls Clinic of the General University Hospital of Patras. Vitamins B12 and D3 levels were measured. The number of falls during the last 12 months was recorded and patients were assessed using Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest), Fried Phenotype, Walking Speed, Hand Grip Strength, Short Physical Performance Battery.

Results: A multiple linear regression analysis showed that Mini-BESTest are statistically significantly predicted, F(10,79)=18.734, p<0.001, adj. R²=0.70 from Vit-B12 and FRIED Phenotype (pre-frail vs non-frail). Similarly, in the multiple binary logistic regression analysis, falls were statistically significantly predicted from FRIED Phenotype (pre-frail vs non-frail) χ²(5)=63.918, p<0.001, Nagelkerke R Squared=0.68.

Conclusions: Higher levels of vitamins B12 but not of D3 are associated with better balance but not with less falls in a sample of community-dwelling older people.

Axial loading in rodents provides a controlled setting for mechanical loading, because load and subsequent strain, frequency, number of cycles and rest insertion between cycles, are precisely defined. These methodological aspects as well as factors, such as ovariectomy, aging, and disuse may affect the outcome of the loading test, including bone mass, structure, and bone mineral density. This review aims to overview methodological aspects and modifying factors in axial loading on bone outcomes. A systematic literature search was performed in bibliographic databases until December 2021, which resulted in 2183 articles. A total of 144 articles were selected for this review: 23 rat studies, 74 mouse studies, and 47 knock out (KO) mouse studies. Results indicated that peak load, frequency, and number of loading cycles mainly affected the outcomes of bone mass, structure, and density in both rat and mouse studies. It is crucial to consider methodological parameters and modifying factors such as age, sex-steroid deficiency, and disuse in loading protocols for the prediction of loading-related bone outcomes.

Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of microRNA 206 (miRNA-206) on neurological recovery through Notch receptor 3 (Notch3).

Methods: The sciatic functional index (SFI), nerve conduction velocity (NCV), tricipital muscle wet weight (TWW) and cross-sectional area of the muscular fiber, and grip strength of posterior limbs were detected by establishing a model of the sciatic nerve to evaluate the effect of sciatic nerve injury model. miRNA-206 expression in the model was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), to regulate the effects of miRNA-206 on the proliferation of gastrocnemius myocytes by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8).

Results: SFI of the model established by immediate epineurium suture after sciatic nerve resection was in the range of -150% to -100% and TWW, the average area of gastrocnemius myocytes, the NCV, and the grasping power of the hind limbs in the model were all lower than those in the normal group. And in the model, TWW, the average area of gastrocnemius myocytes, NCV, and grip strength of posterior limbs were lower in the normal group, which verified the successful establishment of the model.

Conclusion: Over-expression of miRNA-206 can down-regulate Notch3 expression, and then stimulate brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) activity to promote the repair and functional recovery of sciatic nerve injury.

Objectives: The timed 4 stair climb test (4SC) is an accepted and widely used tool to assess motor function of patients with neuromuscular diseases. We aimed to establish reference data for the 4SC, and for mechanographic analysis of ascent (4SC-Up) and descent (4SC-Dn) in healthy children and adolescents.

Methods: We used a custom-made staircase measuring device to assess force, power and velocity during the ascent of 4 stairs in healthy subjects. Secondary outcome measures included mechanographic analyses such as the Chair-Rising-test and the myometric Grip Force-test.

Results: Data of 288 participants aged 4 to 16 years (144 males, 144 females) were analyzed. A simple algorithm integrating the minimal applied force was used to compensate for different movement strategies. Percentiles for average power, force and horizontal velocity were calculated. While results of the 4SC-Up test showed no age or gender dependency, we found 4SC-Dn results to be age dependent. Mean device measured times were significantly shorter than manually measured times (mean difference -0.19 s; p<0.001).

Conclusions: Mechanographic analysis of the 4SC appears to be a promising tool for evaluation of muscle strength and function of the lower extremities as it enables physically exact measurements of a highly relevant activity of daily living.