scholarly journals Postfatigue potentiation of the paralyzed soleus muscle: evidence for adaptation with long-term electrical stimulation training

2006 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 556-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard K. Shields ◽  
Shauna Dudley-Javoroski ◽  
Andrew E. Littmann
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Soleus Muscle ◽  
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Early Implementation ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Low Frequency Fatigue ◽  
Output Behavior

Understanding the torque output behavior of paralyzed muscle has important implications for the use of functional neuromuscular electrical stimulation systems. Postfatigue potentiation is an augmentation of peak muscle torque during repetitive activation after a fatigue protocol. The purposes of this study were 1) to quantify postfatigue potentiation in the acutely and chronically paralyzed soleus and 2) to determine the effect of long-term soleus electrical stimulation training on the potentiation characteristics of recently paralyzed soleus muscle. Five subjects with chronic paralysis (>2 yr) demonstrated significant postfatigue potentiation during a repetitive soleus activation protocol that induced low-frequency fatigue. Ten subjects with acute paralysis (<6 mo) demonstrated no torque potentiation in response to repetitive stimulation. Seven of these acute subjects completed 2 yr of home-based isometric soleus electrical stimulation training of one limb (compliance = 83%; 8,300 contractions/wk). With the early implementation of electrically stimulated training, potentiation characteristics of trained soleus muscles were preserved as in the acute postinjury state. In contrast, untrained limbs showed marked postfatigue potentiation at 2 yr after spinal cord injury (SCI). A single acute SCI subject who was followed longitudinally developed potentiation characteristics very similar to the untrained limbs of the training subjects. The results of the present investigation support that postfatigue potentiation is a characteristic of fast-fatigable muscle and can be prevented by timely neuromuscular electrical stimulation training. Potentiation is an important consideration in the design of functional electrical stimulation control systems for people with SCI.

scholarly journals Musculoskeletal Plasticity After Acute Spinal Cord Injury: Effects of Long-Term Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Training

2006 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 2380-2390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard K. Shields ◽  
Shauna Dudley-Javoroski
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Distal Tibia ◽  
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Fatigue Index ◽  
Time Integral ◽  
Cord Injury

Maintaining the physiologic integrity of paralyzed limbs may be critical for those with spinal cord injury (SCI) to be viable candidates for a future cure. No long-term intervention has been tested to attempt to prevent the severe musculoskeletal deterioration that occurs after SCI. The purposes of this study were to determine whether a long-term neuromuscular electrical stimulation training program can preserve the physiological properties of the plantar flexor muscles (peak torque, fatigue index, torque-time integral, and contractile speed) as well as influence distal tibia trabecular bone mineral density (BMD). Subjects began unilateral plantar flexion electrical stimulation training within 6 wk after SCI while the untrained leg served as a control. Mean compliance for the 2-yr training program was 83%. Mean estimated compressive loads delivered to the tibia were ∼1–1.5 times body weight. The training protocol yielded significant trained versus untrained limb differences for torque (+24%), torque-time integral (+27%), fatigue index (+50%), torque rise time (+45%), and between-twitch fusion (+15%). These between-limb differences were even greater when measured at the end of a repetitive stimulation protocol (125 contractions). Peripheral quantitative computed tomography revealed 31% higher distal tibia trabecular BMD in trained limbs than in untrained limbs. The intervention used in this study was sufficient to limit many of the deleterious muscular and skeletal adaptations that normally occur after SCI. Importantly, this method of load delivery was feasible and may serve as the basis for an intervention to preserve the musculoskeletal properties of individuals with SCI.

scholarly journals Low-Frequency Fatigue at Different Muscle Length Following Intermittent Eccentric Drop Jumps in 12—14 Year-Old Boys

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (57) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vytautas Streckis ◽  
Giedrius Gorianovas ◽  
Birutė Miseckaitė ◽  
Valerija Streckienė ◽  
Ronaldas Endrijaitis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Eccentric Exercise ◽  
Mechanical Damage ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Muscle Length ◽  
Contraction Force ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
Drop Jumps ◽  
Low Frequency Fatigue ◽  
Initial Force

Low frequency fatigue (LFF) in 12—14 year-old adolescent boys (n = 10) doing 75 eccentric jumps performed every20 s from a platform 80 cm high was investigated.Thus the aim of this study was to find out if LFF manifests itself in the muscles of boys aged 12—14 years doing 75 dropjumps performed every 20 s at angles of 90˚ and 135˚ from a platform 80 cm high. The results of the research have shownthat doing 75 eccentric jumps performed every 20 s calls forth LFF in the muscles of boys that is particularly strong anddisappears more slowly at a shorter length of the muscle exercised. Thus, the hypothesis as to the sarcomeric origin ofLFF in the muscles of boys and men has been confirmed. Besides, the muscles of men of mature age are more resistantto LFF than those of boys. This fact, as well as a more acute pain brought about in the muscles of boys, indicates thatthe muscles of boys are less resistant to mechanical damage than those of men of mature age.It is maintained that as a result of the eccentric exercise performed, some portion of the weak sarcomeres gets tornand then the strong sarcomeres, i.e. the ones that develop contraction force have to work at a shorter muscle length.When muscle contraction length is short the sensitiveness of miofibrillas to Ca 2+  decreases. It is rather unexpectedthough that 24 h after the end of the exercise the force developed by electrostimulation at low frequencies (20 Hz) issmaller (p < 0.05), as compared to the initial force registered at a shorter muscle length. Since after the exercise therewas also a decrease in the force developed at a shorter muscle length in particular, the sarcomeres are believed tohave been damaged during eccentric exercise.Keywords: electrical stimulation, force, age, muscle damage, stretch-shortening exercise.

scholarly journals Two years of Functional Electrical Stimulation by large surface electrodes for denervated muscles improve skin epidermis in SCI

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanna Albertin ◽  
Helmut Kern ◽  
Christian Hofer ◽  
Diego Guidolin ◽  
Andrea Porzionato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Functional Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Muscle Fibers ◽  
Cauda Equina ◽  
Skin Thickness ◽  
Surface Electrodes ◽  
Long Term Treatment ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Skin Biopsies

Our previous studies have shown that severely atrophic Quadriceps muscles of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients suffering with complete conus and cauda equina lesions, and thus with permanent denervation-induced atrophy and degeneration of muscle fibers, were almost completely rescued to normal size after two years of home-based Functional Electrical Stimulation (h-bFES). Since we used large surface electrodes to stimulate the thigh muscles, we wanted to know if the skin was affected by long-term treatment. Here we report preliminary data of morphometry of skin biopsies harvested from legs of 3 SCI patients before and after two years of h-bFES to determine the total area of epidermis in transverse skin sections. By this approach we support our recently published results obtained randomly measuring skin thickness in the same biopsies after H-E stain. The skin biopsies data of three subjects, taken together, present indeed a statistically significant 30% increase in the area of the epidermis after two years of h-bFES. In conclusion, we confirm a long term positive modulation of electrostimulated epidermis, that correlates with the impressive improvements of the FES-induced muscle strength and bulk, and of the size of the muscle fibers after 2-years of h-bFES.

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