European Journal of Translational Myology最新文献

The European Society for Clinical Evaluation of Balance Disorders (ESCEBD), based in Nancy, France, has been meeting yearly since 2005 to discuss equilibrium-related themes that are not yet clearly defined or standardized. One of our latest discussions was with regard to outlining strategies of internal and external compensation that may be used to cope with balance disorders. A Committee was elected to discuss the mechanisms of compensation that may be involved in coping with balance system disorders. Compensation, referring to the immediate or short-term adaptive mechanisms that are used to counterbalance the effects of deficiencies that disrupt balance maintenance, can include alternative strategies, resources, or environmental supports to overcome deficits or challenges associated with a deficiency. The strategies can be internal (i.e. utilizing the individual's own multi-sensory neural integration, motor, and cognitive resources) or external (i.e. modifying the environment, or using assistive or adaptive devices) to reduce fall hazard and enhance safety. This report focuses principally on internal compensation, generated by sensorimotor processes of the central nervous system (CNS) in response to impairment of either sensory information (e.g. vestibular pathologies), the musculoskeletal system (e.g. lower limb amputation and myopathies) or the CNS itself (e.g. upper motor neuron syndrome). The multifactorial process of compensation may explain the limitations encountered by the CNS in compensating for complex bodily impairments and may also limit our understanding of how the CNS adapts to balance disorders. Newly developed devices, such as wearable sensory substitution devices, are on the horizon as possible tools.

The complexity of schizophrenia, particularly in cases resistant to traditional pharmacological treatments, poses significant challenges for clinicians and researchers. This systematic review synthesizes existing evidence on the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation in treating treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Utilizing the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted in March 2025 using the "Connected Papers" tool and other sources such as Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, and Scopus, focusing on studies related to "deep brain stimulation," "treatment-resistant schizophrenia," and "refractory schizophrenia." Four studies met the eligibility criteria, revealing that deep brain stimulation targeting specific brain regions, particularly the nucleus accumbens, can lead to significant symptomatic improvements in approximately 30% of patients unresponsive to conventional antipsychotics. Despite ten adverse events recorded across thirteen procedures, deep brain stimulation offers potential benefits for select individuals. While not universally superior to existing treatments, deep brain stimulation could inform clinical practice and decision-making, highlighting its role in multidisciplinary treatment frameworks. The findings underscore the importance of innovative therapeutic approaches in psychiatry and suggest broader implications for neuromodulation techniques across various psychiatric and neurological disorders, promoting personalized and effective treatment paradigms in mental healthcare.

Tessitore, Costelli et al. were among the first to report a previously unnoticed loss of heart mass in cachectic mice suffering from a severe tumor burden. At the time both the general consensus definition of cachexia and the cancer cachexia classification did not exist. In particular, cancer cachexia is a syndrome characterized by muscle wasting leading to body weight loss in the presence of cancer. More recently, Zhou et al. highlighted once more the existence of a tumor-induced loss of heart mass in a murine model of cancer cachexia. This study generated a new line of research aimed at exploring the mechanisms underlying cardiac wasting in the presence of cancer. Cardiac wasting in the presence of cancer-induced cachexia is distinct from and other than cardiac cachexia, i.e. the atrophy of skeletal muscle induced by cardiac pathologies. However, over the years we have noticed that expressions such as "cardiac cachexia", "cardiac atrophy", and "muscle cachexia"  - that sound alike but are very different - are often mistakenly used. In particular, we are afraid that these misunderstandings may suggest to inexperienced readers that cardiac cachexia is a form of cardiac muscle atrophy, which is not. To add insult to injury, some authors use the expression "muscle cachexia" meaning muscle atrophy, which, as a consequence, may suggest to naive readers that cardiac cachexia is a form of cardiac muscle atrophy. We aim here to clarify the terminology describing these conditions, so as to avoid the misleading use of related expressions: cardiac atrophy and cardiac cachexia may sound alike but are very different. In particular, it is the expression "cardiac cachexia" that raises a problem of ambiguity and should be handled with care. [...].

Cognitive impairment significantly affects physical function in dementia patients, but variations across dementia types and levels of cognitive decline remain unclear. This retrospective cross-sectional study included 874 patients (80.75 ± 8.00 years; 60.4% female) with different dementia types and cognitive impairment levels. Six physical function tests were administered: the De Morton Mobility Index (DEMMI), 6-minute walking test (6MTW), 10-meter walking test (10MWT), hand grip strength (HGS), 30-second chair stand (30sSTS), and the timed "Up & Go" test (TUG). Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) group outperformed Alzheimer's Dementia (AD) and Vascular Dementia (VaD) on DEMMI, 30sSTS and HGS (p < 0.001, η² = 0.012 to 0.052). Differences in the 6MWT were significant in ANOVA but disappeared after adjusting for sex and age (p = 0.066). Severe cognitive impairment was linked to significantly lower physical performance across all measures (p < 0.001, η² = 0.037 to 0.064). Physical function profiles vary by dementia type and cognitive decline level, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to address specific physical challenges.

The discovery that skeletal muscle can respond adaptively to use, even to the extent of re-expressing its genome, overturned two paradigms and led to new insights into gene regulation and a variety of clinical applications.

We describe the case of a 54-year-old patient, who was admitted to our Rehabilitation Unit with diagnosis of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Neurophysiological investigation revealed an axonal polyneuropathy, with impairment of the motor component and preserved sensory function. Despite rapid diagnosis, therapeutic treatment and customized progressive rehabilitation program, nine months after the onset of the disease he presented severe motor sequelae and functional impairment. Patient's hospitalization lasted about two months, while he performed a conventional rehabilitation training. Besides, he underwent a 4-week comprehensive rehabilitation treatment, including both conventional and robotic multidimensional trainings, for 5 1-h sessions per week. Despite the residual global impairment, this treatment, specifically tailored on patient's skills and progress, promoted improvements in functional abilities such as motricity, trunk control, and activities of daily living. Therefore, this case report evidenced the feasibility and efficacy of a multidimensional robotic therapeutic approach along with conventional treatment in the post-acute phase of GBS.

The clinical effectiveness of physical training in a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program (CRP) was assessed in hypertensive (Arterial Hypertension, AH), post-Myocardial Infarction (MI) patients. 206 patients were randomized into a physically trained group (PhTG, n=102) and an untrained, control group (CG, n=104). All patients received standard drug therapy. PhTG patients performed mild callisthenic exercises and moderately intensive bicycle exercise three times/week for one year. Compared to control patients, PhTG patients had significant changes in exercise capacity (duration +38%, p<0.001; total work +63.6%, p<0.001); rate-pressure product (-8.2%, p<0.01); left ventricular ejection fraction (+7.6%, p<0.001); left ventricular stroke volume (+5.1%, p<0.01). Resting BP decreased in PhTG patients (systolic BP, -3.1%, p<0.05; diastolic BP, -3.5%, p<0.001), but increased in CG patients (systolic BP, +3.1%, p<0.05; diastolic BP +3.4%, p<0.05). PhTG patients had fewer myocardial ischemic episodes, including painless ischemia during exercise, fewer angina attacks, less nitroglycerin consumption, improved quality of life, fewer cardiovascular events (-50%, p<0.05), and days of absence from work (-43.2%, p<0.05). Thus, supplementing a CRP with moderate exercise improved BP, work capacity, cardiac function, and quality of life in hypertensive, post-MI patients.

The success of rehabilitation is usually assessed based on the results reported by patients and physicians. However, these assessments often vary and frequently fail to take psychosocial and contextual factors into account. This study investigated how Patient Researchers (PRs) and Healthcare Professional Researchers (HPRs) perceive rehabilitation outcomes and which Critical Success Factors (CSFs) they consider most influential. Using a participatory mixed-methods design, 90 anonymized patient records were evaluated and divided into groups based on good, poor, and conflicting outcomes. The participants - 3 PRs and 24 HPRs - assessed the success of rehabilitation and the potential significance of previously identified CSFs. In contrast to the HPRs, the PRs attributed greater influence to psychosocial factors. The HPRs generally provided a more accurate assessment of the outcome ratings in the patient records, correctly classifying 54.5% vs. 47.7%. Ultimately, the most important CSFs were incorporated into the Rehabilitation Expectation and Perception Scale (REPS), a screening instrument for identifying context-sensitive factors that influence rehabilitation success. This new approach supports personalized, context-sensitive rehabilitation planning, aiming to optimize treatment and facilitate a more nuanced assessment of rehabilitation success.

In the paper titled "Hungry runners - low energy availability in male endurance athletes and its impact on performance and testosterone: mini-review", published in vol. 33, issue 2 of 2023, Supplementary Table 1 was mistakenly mentioned as Table 1. The correct supplementary file is now available. Reference Cupka M, Sedliak M. Hungry runners - low energy availability in male endurance athletes and its impact on performance and testosterone: mini-review. Eur J Translat Myol 2023;33:11104 doi: 10.4081/ejtm.2023.11104.

The 21st Annual Meeting of the Interuniversity Institute of Myology (IIM), held in Assisi, Italy, from September 4-7, 2024, gathered 123 experts, including basic and clinical myologists, pharmaceutical representatives, and patient organizations from Italy, Europe, Canada, and USA. The meeting fostered a proactive, collaborative and dynamic atmosphere, promoting scientific exchange and international partnerships focused on muscle research, from physiology to disease mechanisms, and eventually therapeutic approaches. The 21st IIM Meeting featured 6 main scientific sessions, showcasing 30 oral presentations and 45 always-on-display posters, all reporting original and unpublished research. The program was enriched by four keynote lectures from internationally renowned speakers and talks from delegates of the Société Française de Myologie, adding depth to the scientific discussions. As part of the IIM Meeting organization, this year there was also a free-access educational convention titled "Physical exercise as prevention". Leading IIM experts shared insights on exercise-based lifestyle interventions aimed at improving public health, with the participation of the Italian former boxer Roberto Cammarelle. The event drew a large in-person and online audience. This IIM Meeting edition strongly emphasized the involvement and growth of young researchers, with 50% of the attendees being <35, reinforcing IIM's commitment to fostering the next generation of myologists. Along this line, and to further support young researchers, awards for Best Talk, Best Poster Blitz, and Best Poster were presented. The winners joined the IIM Young Committee, contributing to the scientific organization of future IIM meetings together with the IIM Scientific Committee. The meeting was also integrated into the "Advanced Myology Update 2024" high-training course, organized by the University of Perugia in collaboration with IIM. The 11 trainees enrolled in the course participated in dedicated roundtables and exclusive lessons led by IIM's invited speakers. In this report are included the abstracts of both oral and poster presentations, with some being withheld for patent-related reasons. Through its annual congress and educational initiatives, IIM played a crucial role in shaping the future of myology research, fostering innovation, collaboration, and scientific excellence on an international scale. We invite you to save the date for the 22nd IIM meeting that will be held in the beautiful Assisi, September 11-14, 2025. We can't wait to welcome you!