Influence of the lateral pterygoid muscle on the growth of the mandibular condilar cartilage

At the end of the last century, a model to explain clinical observations related to the mandibular growth was developed. According to it, the lateral pterigoid muscle (LPM) was one of the main modulators of the differentiation of mesenquimal cells inside the condyle to condroblasts or osteoblasts, and therefore of the growth of the mandibular condilar cartilage (CCM). The main components of the model were the humoral and the mechanical. Nowadays, the humoral would include growth factors such as IGF-I, FGF-2 and VEGF, which seem to be involved in mandibular growth. Since skeletal muscle can secrete these growth factors, there is a possibility that LPM modulates the growth of CCM by a paracrine or endocrine mechanism. The mechanical component derived from the observations that both the blood flow inside the temporomandibular joint (ATM) and the action of the retrodiscal pad on the growth of the CCM, depend, in part, on the contractile activity of the LPM. Despite the fact that there are some results suggesting  hat LPM is activated under conditions of mandibular protrusion, there is no full agreement on whether this can stimulate the growth of CCM. In this review, the contributions and limitations of the works related to mandibular growth are discussed and a model which integrates the available information to explain the role of the LPM in the growth of the CCM is proposed.

Effect of joint mobilization on the H Reflex amplitude in people with spasticity

Objective: To determine the effect of ankle joint mobilization on the H reflex amplitude of thesoleus muscle in people with spasticity. Materials and methods: A quasi-experimental study withcrossover design and simple masking was conducted in 24 randomized subjects to initiate thecontrol or experimental group. Traction and rhythmic oscillation were applied for five minutesto the ankle joint. H wave amplitude changes of Hoffmann reflex (electrical equivalent of themonosynaptic spinal reflex) was assessed, stimulating the tibial nerve at the level of the poplitealfossa and recording in the soleus muscle. In each subject 12 measurements were taken: basalrate, during and after mobilization. Changes in H reflex amplitude were calculated in relationto basal measurement. For each measurement a hypothesis test was performed (Student t test).Results: In groups of patients with brain injury and incomplete spinal cord injury, a significantdifference was found between measurements of both studies, concerning variation in H reflexamplitude during the application of joint mobilization techniques, with a decrease in the experimentalgroup and an increase in the control group. In contrast, no significant differences werefound after mobilization therapy. Patients with complete spinal cord injury showed no significantdifferences in any measurements. Conclusion: We demonstrate the effectiveness of jointmobilization in the decrease of H reflex amplitude in patients with brain injury or incompletespinal cord injury during the mobilization maneuver, but no residual effect after completion ofthe trial. This research showed no evidence regarding excitability reduction in complete spinalcord injury. We suggest that therapeutic interventions to decrease muscle tone based on the jointmobilization should be reconsidered.

The Role of Kinaesthetic Motor Imagery in Promoting Activation of the Lumbrical Muscles in the Hemiparetic Hand: a Randomised Controlled Study

The objective of the investigation who gave as result this work was to investigate the effectiveness of kinaesthetic motor imagery in the activation of the hemiplegic hand muscles following stroke. The experiment consisted of two random groups. Movements were measured after treatment. The participants were ten patients with hemiplegic hands (men who mean age was 74.4 years; mean time since stroke 3.05 months). All patients received three sessions of physical treatment based on an identical treatment protocol. Five patients were randomly assigned to an experimental group practising kinaesthetic motor imagery of a grasp using the 'lumbrical action' (experimental group). The others five (control group) followed a relaxation script. All the patients were then asked to grasp an object using the 'lumbrical action'. The grasps were recorded using an optoelectronic motion capture system. The magnitude of the extension of the index finger and the correlation of the angular displacement of the proximal phalangeal joints and the metacarpophalangeal joints were calculated. The movement time for the whole grip was calculated. The experimental group demonstrated higher extension in the index finger (p = < 0.01) and they had a higher correlation coefficient (0.99) than the control group (0.77) for the displacement of the proximal interphalangeal joint and the metacarpophalangeal joints. The movement time for the experimental group was faster, although the difference was not significant.

Narración, emociones e identidad. Una lectura epistemológica y hermenéutica

El propósito de este artículo es presentar tres argumentos en torno al papel que las emociones y los procesos de narración tienen en la construcción de la identidad moral. En primer lugar, se sugiere que la comprensión cartesiana de la identidad moderna rechaza el valor que las emociones y los sentimientos tienen en la formulación de juicios normativos. En este sentido, se argumentará que necesitamos una perspectiva epistemológica distinta. En segundo lugar, se revisará la relación existente entre la identidad narrativa y las tres formas de la mímesis en Tiempo y narración. Nuestro análisis tiene el propósito de mostrar la importancia que porque se argumentará que el punto de vista hermenéutico abre la puerta a un horizonte distinto de la acción humana que incluye las emociones y los sentimientos. Finalmente, se expondrá el concepto de frameworks en el pensamiento de Charles Taylor, por la siguiente razón: la noción frameworks nos proporciona un punto de articulación entre la cuestión de la identidad y la teoría hermenéutica sobre los conceptos mencionados y el sentido de la vida.---Narrative, emotions and identity. An epistemological and hermeneutical readingThe purpose of this article is to explain three arguments about the role that emotions and the process of narration have in the construction of moral identity. First, I suggest that Cartesian comprehension of modern identity rejects the value that emotions and feelings have in formulations of normative judgments. In this sense I will argue that we need a different epistemological perspective. Second, I will review the relation between narrative identity and the three forms of mimesis in Time and Narrative. Our inquiry into them has the purpose of showing the importance that they have in many basic fields of application in social science, because I consider that the hermeneutical point of view opens the gate to a comprehensive perspective of human action, and it includes emotions and feelings. Finally, I will expose the concept of “Frameworks” in Charles Taylor´s thought for the following reason: “Frameworks” provides a point of articulation between question of identity and hermeneutical theory about the emotions, feelings and meaning of live.Key words: narrative identity, hermeneutical theory, emotions, feelings, normative judgments---Narração, emoções e identidade. Uma leitura epistemológica e hermenêuticaO propósito deste artigo é apresentar três argumentos em torno ao papel que as emoções e os processos de narração têm na construção da identidade moral. Em primeiro lugar se sugere que a compreensão cartesiana da identidade moderna recusa o valor que as emoções e os sentimentos têm na formulação de juízos normativos. Neste sentido, se argumentará que necessitamos uma perspectiva epistemológica diferente. Em segundo lugar, se revisará a relação existente entre a identidade narrativa e as três formas da mimese em Tempo e narração. Nossa análise tem o propósito de mostrar a importância que estas noções têm em diferentes campos de aplicação das ciências sociais, porque se argumentará que o ponto de vista hermenêutico abre a porta a um horionte distinto da ação humana que inclui as emoções e os sentimentos. Finalmente, se exporá o conceito de frameworks no pensamento de Charles Taylor, pela seguinte razão: a noção frameworks nos proporciona um ponto de articulação entre a questão da identidade e a teoria hermenêutica sobre os conceitos mencionados e o sentido da vida.Palavras chave: Identidade narrativa, teoria hermenêutica, emoções, sentimentos, juízos normativos.