Assisted standing for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of standing devices and orthoses on musculoskeletal impairments (such as pain, contracture, scoliosis development and bone density) in people with DMD, and secondarily to determine their effect on quality of life, participation in activities, and patient experience.

Influencia del polimorfismo del receptor de andrógenos en la masa ósea, masa muscular y condición física en niños y niñas

Programa de doctorado: Actividad Física, Salud y Rendimiento Deportivo

Muscular anatomy of the pectoral and forelimb of caiman crocodilus crocodilus (linnaeus, 1758) (crocodylia: alligatoridae)

v. 17, n. 2, p. 285-295, abr./jun. 2016.

Considerations in the use of high intensity leg cycle ergometry as a test of muscular performance

High intensity leg cycle ergometry is a widely used method of measuring muscular performance during maximal exercise. Until recently, it was deemed to be a predominantly lower body activity; however, there is now evidence to suggest that the upper body could be making a significant contribution to power output, as demonstrated by the intense electrical activity of the forearm musculature. As high intensity cycle ergometry often is used to measure performance in untrained cyclists it is important they are given at least two familiarisation trials to ensure results are both reliable and reproducible. In addition, diurnal variations exist during a single high intensity bout of exercise. It is likely these daily fluctuations are influenced by a number of biochemical and physiological variables. The purpose of this article is to outline factors that contribute to our interpretation of data following high intensity cycle ergometry.

Fadiga e conforto do quadricípite femoral gerados por estimulação eléctrica neuromuscular com modulação da forma de onda

Mestrado em Fisioterapia

Neuromuscular adaptations in football athletes with prior history of hamstring strain injury

Background: Hamstring strain injuries (HSI) are one of the most common injuries in a wide variety of running-sports, resulting in a considerable loss of competition and training time. One of the most problematic consequences regarding HSI is the recurrence rate and its non-decrease over the past decades, despite increasing evidence. Recent studies also found several maladaptations post-HSI probably due to neuromuscular inhibition and it has been proposed that these adaptations post-injury may contribute as risk factors for the injury-reinjury cycle and high recurrence rates. Furthermore it has been recently proposed not to disregard the inter-relationship between these adaptations and risk-factors post-injury in order to better understand the mechanisms of this complex injury. Objective: To determine, analyze and correlate neuromuscular adaptations in amateur football players with prior history of HSI per comparison to uninjured athletes in similar conditions. Methodology: Every participant was subjected to isokinetic concentric (60 and 240deg.sec) and eccentric (30 and 120deg.sec¯¹) testing, and peak torque, angle of peak torque and hamstrings to quadriceps (H:Q) conventional ratios were measured, myoelectrical activity of Bicep Femoris (BF) and Medial Hamstrings (MH) were also measured during isokinetic eccentric testing at both velocities and muscle activation percentages were calculated at 30, 50 and 100ms after onset of contraction. Furthermore active and passive knee extension, knee joint position sense (JPS) test, triple-hop distance (THD) test and core stability (flexors and extensors endurance, right and left side bridge test) were used and correlated. Results: Seventeen players have participated in this study: 10 athletes with prior history of HSI, composing the Hamstring injury group (HG) and 7 athletes without prior severe injuries as control group (CG). We found statistical significant differences between HG injured and uninjured sides in the BF myoelectrical activity at almost all times in both velocities and between HG injured and CG non-dominant sides at 100ms in eccentric 120deg.sec¯¹ velocity (p<.05). We found no differences in MH activity. Regarding proprioception we found differences between the HG injured and uninjured sides (p=.027). We found no differences in the rest of used tests. However, significant correlation between myoelectrical activation at 100ms in 120deg.sec¯¹ testing and JPS with initial position at 90º (r-.372; p=0.031) was found, as well as between isokinetic H:Q ratio at 240deg.sec and THD score (r=-.345; p=.045). Conclusion: We found significant differences that support previous research regarding neuromuscular adaptations and BF inhibition post-HSI. Moreover, to our knowledge, this was the first study that found correlation between these adaptations, and may open a door to new perspectives and future studies.

The role of intracellular calcium perturbations in muscle damage and dysfunction in mouse models of muscular dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a neuromuscular disease caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. DMD is clinically characterized by severe, progressive and irreversible loss of muscle function, in which most patients lose the ability to walk by their early teens and die by their early 20’s. Impaired intracellular calcium (Ca2+) regulation and activation of cell degradation pathways have been proposed as key contributors to DMD disease progression. This dissertation research consists of three studies investigating the role of intracellular Ca2+ in skeletal muscle dysfunction in different mouse models of DMD. Study one evaluated the role of Ca2+-activated enzymes (proteases) that activate protein degradation in excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling failure following repeated contractions in mdx and dystrophin-utrophin null (mdx/utr-/-) mice. Single muscle fibers from mdx/utr-/- mice had greater E-C coupling failure following repeated contractions compared to fibers from mdx mice. Moreover, protease inhibition during these contractions was sufficient to attenuate E-C coupling failure in muscle fibers from both mdx and mdx/utr-/- mice. Study two evaluated the effects of overexpressing the Ca2+ buffering protein sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 1 (SERCA1) in skeletal muscles from mdx and mdx/utr-/- mice. Overall, SERCA1 overexpression decreased muscle damage and protected the muscle from contraction-induced injury in mdx and mdx/utr-/- mice. In study three, the cellular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of SERCA1 overexpression in mdx and mdx/utr-/- mice were investigated. SERCA1 overexpression attenuated calpain activation in mdx muscle only, while partially attenuating the degradation of the calpain target desmin in mdx/utr-/- mice. Additionally, SERCA1 overexpression decreased the SERCA-inhibitory protein sarcolipin in mdx muscle but did not alter levels of Ca2+ regulatory proteins (parvalbumin and calsequestrin) in either dystrophic model. Lastly, SERCA1 overexpression blunted the increase in endoplasmic reticulum stress markers Grp78/BiP in mdx mice and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) in mdx and mdx/utr-/- mice. Overall, findings from the studies presented in this dissertation provide new insight into the role of Ca2+ in muscle dysfunction and damage in different dystrophic mouse models. Further, these findings support the overall strategy for improving intracellular Ca2+ control for the development of novel therapies for DMD.

Best Practice Guidelines on molecular diagnostics in Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophies

Meeting participants: Rosário dos Santos, Porto, Portugal

Comparación de la evolución en pacientes con diagnóstico de espasmo muscular en región cervical, dorsal y lumbar, atendidos con masaje manual y pacientes tratados con vibroterapia en las edades de 20 a 70 años de ambos sexos, atendidos en el Hospital Nacional de San Francisco Gotera, departamento de Morazán, en el período de julio a septiembre de 2007.

La investigación se realizó en pacientes con diagnóstico de Espasmo Muscular en región Cervical, Dorsal y Lumbar entre las edades de 20 a 70 años de ambos sexos, atendidos en el Hospital Nacional de San Francisco Gotera, en el período de Julio a Septiembre de 2007, con el objetivo de establecer la comparación de la evolución entre los pacientes atendidos con Masaje Manual y los tratados con Vibroterapia. La muestra estuvo constituida por un total de 12 pacientes, la cual se dividió en dos grupos de 6 pacientes cada uno, en donde se atendió a un grupo con Masaje manual y el otro fue tratado con Vibroterapia. El tipo de estudio aplicado fue prospectivo y comparativo, las técnicas de obtención de información empleadas fueron la Documental como la bibliografía y la de Campo como la entrevista; la primera permitió realizar una amplia revisión de libros y diccionarios y la segunda fue destinada a la población en estudio con el fin de obtener información del estado real del paciente.

Efectividad de la aplicación de la técnica de facilitación neuromuscular propioceptiva sub-acuática combinada con fisioterapia en pacientes con debilidad muscular en miembros superiores e inferiores en edades de 30 a 70 años de ambos sexos, atendidos en el área de terapia física del Hospital Militar regional de la ciudad de San Miguel; en el periodo comprendido de julio a septiembre de 2009.

La terapia subacuática se considera una alternativa innovadora para los pacientes con algún déficit en la realización de los movimientos que se ven afectados por algún padecimiento, razón por la cual es necesario de alguna manera aumentar su fuerza que es en si la causa de la debilidad muscular. Es por ello que los ejercicios dentro del agua proporcionan un mayor rendimiento debido a las propiedades físicas de ella, ya que se logra realizar los movimientos con un grado mínimo de dificultad. Es por esta razón que se considera importante la investigación mediante el cual se beneficiaron; los pacientes ya que tuvieron la oportunidad de lograr una máxima funcionabilidad con el aumento de la fuerza muscular y mejorar su calidad de vida. Así como la institución ya que estará aportando una nueva forma de tratamiento. A los profesionales en Fisioterapia y Terapia Ocupacional el estudio permitirá conocer y aplicar una nueva modalidad de tratamiento.

Evaluación diagnóstica de la Dismorfia Muscular: una revisión sistemática

El objetivo de este estudio fue examinar las investigaciones realizadas sobre la evaluación diagnóstica de la Dismorfia Muscular (DM). Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática en las bases PsycINFO y Medline de 1997 a 2012, los descriptores fueron: "muscle dysmorphic disorder" "vigorexia" y "male". 17 estudios cumplieron los criterios de inclusión, de éstos, todos utilizaron los criterios diagnósticos propuestos por Pope et al. (1997). Aquellos con DM están preocupados por el tamaño corporal, levantan pesas de 3 a 7 días por semana, realizan dietas hiperproteicas y en ocasiones utilizan suplementos alimentarios y esteroides. En conclusión, los criterios de Pope et al. (1997) son la base para el diagnóstico de DM y el DSM-5 los retoma al reconocer e incluir a la DM como una patología.