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Effect of electrode location on surface electromyography changes due to eccentric elbow flexor exerciseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Experiments were carried out to determine whether the location of electrodes has an effect on eccentric exercise-induced changes in surface electromyography (sEMG) variables in the biceps brachii muscle. sEMG signals were recorded with a grid of 64 electrodes before and up to 4 days post-exercise. Root mean square (RMS) and mean power frequency (MNF) were calculated for: (1) each channel; (2) as an average of all channels; and (3) as an average of individual channel rows and columns. Mean muscle-fiber conduction velocity (CV) was estimated similarly but was based on double-differential channels. Maximal isometric voluntary...
Source: Muscle - May 26, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Harri Piitulainen, Reijo Bottas, Vesa Linnamo, Paavo Komi, Janne Avela Source Type: journals

Electromyography and mechanomyography of elbow agonists and antagonists in parkinson diseaseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The purpose of this study was to assess the electromyographic (EMG) and mechanomyographic (MMG) activities of agonist and antagonist muscles in Parkinson disease patients during maximal isometric elbow contraction in flexion and extension. Ten elderly females with Parkinson disease (average age 75 years) and 10 age-matched healthy females were tested. The torque and the EMG and MMG signals from biceps brachii and triceps brachii were recorded during sustained maximal voluntary isometric contraction of the elbow flexors and extensors. There were no intergroup differences in the EMG and MMG activities of agonist and antagoni...
Source: Muscle - May 26, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Jaros[lstrok]aw Marusiak, Anna Jaskólska, Ewa Jarocka, Wojciech Najwer, Katarzyna Kisiel-Sajewicz, Artur Jaskólski Source Type: journals

A novel mutation of the GAA gene in a Finnish late-onset pompe disease patient: Clinical phenotype and follow-up with enzyme replacement therapyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Pompe disease is a rare, progressive disease leading to skeletal muscle weakness due to deficiency of the acid [alpha]-glucosidase (GAA) enzyme. Herein we report the first diagnosed Finnish patient with a phenotype compatible with the late-onset form of Pompe disease. Molecular genetic analysis of the GAA gene revealed a novel missense mutation, 1725C>A (Y575X), combined with a previously reported mutation, 1634C>T (P545L). Human recombinant [alpha]-glucosidase enzyme (alglucosidase-[alpha]) treatment was initiated for this patient at age 20 years. After 12 months she was no longer fully wheelchair-bound, and muscle streng...
Source: Muscle - May 26, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Mari P. Korpela, Anders Paetau, Mervi I. Löfberg, Marjut H. Timonen, Antti E. Lamminen, Sari M.K. Kiuru-Enari Source Type: journals

Vastus lateralis NA+-K+-ATpase activity, protein, and isoform distribution in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study we investigate the hypothesis that protein abundance, isoform distribution, and maximal catalytic activity of sodium-potassium-adenosine triphosphatase (Na+-K+-ATPase) would be altered in muscle of patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Tissue samples were obtained from the vastus lateralis of 10 patients with COPD (mean ± SE: age = 67 ± 2.9 years; FEV1 = 39 ± 5.5%) and 10 healthy, matched controls (CON: age = 68 ± 2 years; FEV1 = 114 ± 4.2%). The samples were assessed for maximal catalytic activity (Vmax) of the enzyme using the K+-stimulated 3-O-methylfluorescein...
Source: Muscle - May 26, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Henry James Green, Margaret Elizabeth Burnett, Christine Linda D'Arsigny, Katherine Alexandra Webb, Ian McBride, Jing Ouyang, Dennis Einan O'Donnell Source Type: journals

Piriformis syndrome, diagnosis and treatmentEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Piriformis syndrome (PS) is an uncommon cause of sciatica that involves buttock pain referred to the leg. Diagnosis is often difficult, and it is one of exclusion due to few validated and standardized diagnostic tests. Treatment for PS has historically focused on stretching and physical therapy modalities, with refractory patients also receiving anesthetic and corticosteroid injections into the piriformis muscle origin, belly, muscle sheath, or sciatic nerve sheath. Recently, the use of botulinum toxin (BTX) to treat PS has gained popularity. Its use is aimed at relieving sciatic nerve compression and inherent muscle pain ...
Source: Muscle - May 22, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Jonathan S. Kirschner, Patrick M. Foye, Jeffrey L. Cole Source Type: journals

Hip flexor fatigue limits walking in Charcot-Marie-Tooth diseaseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study suggests that hip flexors compensate for distal weakness and that fatigue in the hip flexors can limit walking duration. Treatments directed toward improving proximal muscle strength may therefore help to delay onset of hip flexor fatigue and thus prolong walking duration. Muscle Nerve, 2009
Source: Muscle - April 29, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Gita M. Ramdharry, Brian L. Day, Mary M. Reilly, Jonathan F. Marsden Source Type: journals

Fukutin gene mutations in an Italian patient with early onset muscular dystrophy but no central nervous system involvementEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Hypoglycosylation of [alpha]-dystroglycan characterizes a subgroup of muscular dystrophies of variable severity, including Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy. We found fukutin gene mutations in a 4.5-year-old Italian patient, with reduced [alpha]-dystroglycan expression, dystrophic features on muscle biopsy, hypotonia since birth, mild myopathy, but no brain involvement. Mutations in the fukutin gene can be associated with much milder phenotypes than classical Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy, and, although rare, can occur in non-Japanese. Muscle Nerve, 2009
Source: Muscle - April 24, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Simona Saredi, Alessandra Ruggieri, Elisa Mottarelli, Anna Ardissone, Simona Zanotti, Laura Farina, Lucia Morandi, Marina Mora, Isabella Moroni Source Type: journals

A placebo arm is not always necessary in clinical trials of amyotrophic lateral sclerosisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Riluzole is currently the only approved medication for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). While other potential neuroprotective agents have been tested in clinical trials, none has been effective, and few symptomatic treatments have been studied. Randomized placebo-controlled trials are necessary to establish the effectiveness of a drug, but an increasing number of potential therapies combined with limited resources means that only a few drugs at a time can be tested for efficacy in ALS. Therefore, priority must be given to agents that show an advantage in early phase trials before proceeding to Phase III efficacy trials...
Source: Muscle - April 20, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Paul H. Gordon Source Type: journals

Can we eliminate placebo in ALS clinical Trials?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease with limited treatment options. Controlled studies are a necessary part of Phase II and Phase III assessments of proposed therapies. Due to the relatively small number of patients with ALS, several study designs have been proposed to improve the efficiency of Phase II studies. Some of these advocate the use of historical controls in place of placebo controls. However, the characteristics of historical controls may not mirror those of patients in the treatment group. Novel study designs can be used to decrease the number of patients required for Phase II studies. The us...
Source: Muscle - April 20, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Zachary Simmons Source Type: journals

Danon disease: Further clinical and molecular heterogeneityEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Two families of Greek patients with subclinical to severe cardiomyopathy are presented. The diagnosis of Danon disease was supported by a total lack of LAMP2 immunostaining in cultured skin fibroblasts and muscle biopsies. The LAMP2 mutation carried by one patient (c.928G>A) has already been reported but with different symptoms. The second patient had a novel point deletion. This has not been described previously, but it could be detected easily by restriction analysis. This mutation was also found in the patient's brother, and it was associated with severe cardiomyopathy leading to heart failure. Surprisingly, the proband...
Source: Muscle - April 16, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Frédérique Sabourdy, Helen Michelakakis, Aris Anastasakis, Virginie Garcia, Irene Mavridou, Michèle Nieto, Marie-Claude Pons, Constantinos Skiadas, Marina Moraitou, Panagiota Manta, Milan Elleder, Thierry Levade Source Type: journals

Myasthenia gravis associated with etanercept therapyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this report we present a patient who developed myasthenia gravis while taking etanercept and had resolution of symptoms after stopping it. This is the first report of this potential side effect and is of additional interest, because etanercept has been proposed as a treatment for myasthenia gravis. Muscle Nerve, 2009
Source: Muscle - April 16, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Dominic B. Fee, Edward J. Kasarskis Source Type: journals

Electrophysiological studies in a mouse model of Schwartz-Jampel syndrome demonstrate muscle fiber hyperactivity of peripheral nerve originEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Schwartz-Jampel syndrome (SJS) is an autosomal-recessive condition characterized by muscle stiffness and chondrodysplasia. It is due to loss-of-function hypomorphic mutations in the HSPG2 gene that encodes for perlecan, a proteoglycan secreted into the basement membrane. The origin of muscle stiffness in SJS is debated. To resolve this issue, we performed an electrophysiological investigation of an SJS mouse model with a missense mutation in the HSPG2 gene. Compound muscle action potential amplitudes, distal motor latencies, repetitive nerve stimulation tests, and sensory nerve conduction velocities of SJS mice were normal...
Source: Muscle - April 14, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Andoni Echaniz-Laguna, Frédérique Rene, Christophe Marcel, Marie Bangratz, Bertrand Fontaine, Jean-Philippe Loeffler, Sophie Nicole Source Type: journals

Management of extreme carpal tunnel syndrome: Evidence from a long-term follow-up studyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study we report long-term follow-up of 37 patients with extreme CTS. Of the 24 patients with idiopathic extreme CTS, 9 were untreated, and 3 received conservative treatment. At follow-up, none of these patients showed objective or electrophysiological improvement, and all but 1 still reported positive symptoms. Conversely, 12 patients (14 hands) who underwent carpal tunnel release showed: resolution of positive symptoms in all but 1 hand; reappearance of median compound muscle action potentials (4.2 ± 0.6 mV); reappearance of sensory nerve action potentials in all but 1 (7.9 ± 0.8 [mu]V); improvement of APB stren...
Source: Muscle - April 14, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Margherita Capasso, Claudia Manzoli, Antonino Uncini Source Type: journals

Influence of intrinsic noise generated by a thermotesting device on thermal sensory detection and thermal pain detection thresholdsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Various factors can influence thermal perception threshold measurements and contribute significantly to unwanted variability of the tests. To minimize this variability, testing should be performed under strictly controlled conditions. Identifying the factors that increase the variability and eliminating their influence should increase reliability and reproducibility. Currently available thermotesting devices use a water-cooling system that generates a continuous noise of approximately 60 dB. In order to analyze whether this noise could influence the thermal threshold measurements we compared the thresholds obtained with a ...
Source: Muscle - April 14, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: G. Pavlakovi[cacute], K. Züchner, A. Zapf, C.G. Bachmann, B.M. Graf, T. A. Crozier, H. Pavlakovi[cacute] Source Type: journals

Subacute inflammatory polyradiculopathy associated with Sjögren's syndromeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We describe a patient with clinical, cerebrospinal fluid, neurophysiological, and neuroradiological evidence of subacute inflammatory polyradiculopathy in whom Sjögren's syndrome was diagnosed after the onset of neurological symptoms. Our case suggests that SS should be included in the differential diagnosis of subacute inflammatory polyradiculopathy. Muscle Nerve, 2009
Source: Muscle - April 14, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Andrea Rigamonti, Giuseppe Lauria, Roberto Balgera, Elio Agostoni Source Type: journals

Modulation of the soleus H-reflex following galvanic vestibular stimulation and cutaneous stimulation in prone human subjectsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We examined the effects of a combined vestibular and cutaneous conditioning stimulus on the motoneuron pool that supplies the soleus muscle via the Hoffman reflex (H-reflex). We applied galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS; bipolar, binaural, 500 ms, 2.5-mA square-wave pulse) and cutaneous stimulation (medial plantar nerve; 11 ms, three-pulse train, 200 HZ) to prone human subjects and examined changes in the amplitude of the H-reflex. GVS alone caused facilitation (approximately 20%) of the H-reflex, whereas ipsilateral cutaneous stimulation alone caused a 26% inhibition. Paired GVS and cutaneous stimulation resulted in a ...
Source: Muscle - April 14, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Catherine R. Lowrey, Leah R. Bent Source Type: journals

Pronation-supination torque and associated electromyographic activity varies during a sustained elbow flexor contraction but does not influence the time to task failureEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study we measured the pronation-supination torque, flexion force, and electromyographic activity in elbow flexor muscles during an isometric contraction in which a submaximal elbow flexion force was kept constant for as long as possible. Ten subjects performed the contraction at 20% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque until failure. Electromyographic (EMG) activity of the long and short heads of biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis, and triceps brachii was recorded with surface and intramuscular electrodes. The mean time to failure was 8.2 ± 6.2 min. The fluctuations in flexion force and pronation...
Source: Muscle - April 8, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Didier Staudenmann, Thorsten Rudroff, Roger M. Enoka Source Type: journals

T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder following mycophenolate treatment for myasthenia gravisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We report the case of a patient who developed T-cell lymphoproliferative lesions following long-term treatment with mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone for myasthenia gravis. The lesions resolved following cessation of the treatment. This case highlights a serious complication of a commonly used drug. Muscle Nerve, 2009
Source: Muscle - April 8, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Dena B. Dubal, Sabine Mueller, Beth S. Ruben, John W. Engstrom, S. Andrew Josephson Source Type: journals

Diabetes mellitus associated with glycogen storage disease type IIIEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
No abstract.
Source: Muscle - March 30, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Konstantinos Spengos, Helen Michelakakis, Adamantios Vontzalidis, Vasiliki Zouvelou, Panagiota Manta Source Type: journals

Vibration prolongs the cortical silent period in an antagonistic muscleEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We tested whether the silent period, an indicator of inhibitory neuronal activity, is modulated by muscle vibration. Vibration was applied to the right extensor carpi radialis (ECR) muscle in 17 healthy subjects and, as a control experiment, to the dorsal terminal phalanges in 5 subjects. Data before vibration were compared with those during vibration. The cortical silent period (CSP) was evoked by transcranial magnetic stimuli (TMS) during voluntary wrist flexion or during voluntary wrist extension. TMS-evoked motor potentials (MEPs) of the flexor carpi radialis (FCR) muscle were recorded during muscle relaxation. The mix...
Source: Muscle - March 30, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Christian Binder, Ali Ekber Kaya, Joachim Liepert Source Type: journals

Persistent reduction of conduction velocity and myelinated axon damage in vibrated rat tail nervesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Prolonged hand-transmitted vibration exposure in the workplace has been recognized for almost a century to cause neurodegenerative and vasospastic disease. Persistence of the diseased state for years after cessation of tool use is of grave concern. To understand persistence of vibration injury, the present study examined recovery of nerve conduction velocity and structural damage of myelinated axons in a rat tail vibration model. Both 7 and 14 days of vibration (4 h/day) decreased conduction velocity. The decrease correlated directly with the increased percentage of disrupted myelinated axons. The total number of myelinate...
Source: Muscle - March 20, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Michael A. Loffredo, Ji-Geng Yan, Dennis Kao, Lin Ling Zhang, Hani S. Matloub, Danny A. Riley Source Type: journals

Time-frequency analysis of rhythmic masticatory muscle activityEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The aim of this study was to develop and validate under laboratory conditions an algorithm for a time-frequency analysis of rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA). The algorithm baseband demodulated the electromyographic (EMG) signal to provide a frequency versus time representation. Using appropriate thresholds for frequency and power parameters, it was possible to automatically assess the features of RMMA without examiner interaction. The algorithm was first tested using synthetic EMG signals and then using real EMG signals obtained from the masticatory muscles of 11 human subjects who underwent well-defined rhythmi...
Source: Muscle - March 20, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Mauro Farella, Sandro Palla, Luigi Maria Gallo Source Type: journals

Vibratory thresholds and mobility in older personsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We tested the hypothesis that vibratory thresholds in the elderly are related to mobility. In all, 629 older persons without dementia underwent testing including 11 lower extremity performance measures and modified United Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), summarized as composite mobility and global parkinsonian signs. Vibratory thresholds were measured at the ankle and toes bilaterally using the graduated Rydel-Seiffer tuning fork. In linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, and education, vibratory threshold was associated with composite mobility (estimate, 0.047, SE = 0.011, P < 0.001) and global parkinson...
Source: Muscle - March 20, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Aron S. Buchman, Robert S. Wilson, Sue Leurgans, David A. Bennett Source Type: journals

Sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic-reticulum Ca2+-ATPase and calsequestrin are overexpressed in spared intrinsic laryngeal muscles of dystrophin-deficient mdx miceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the lack of dystrophin is associated with increased calcium levels and skeletal muscle myonecrosis. The intrinsic laryngeal muscles (ILM) are protected and do not undergo myonecrosis. We investigated whether this protection is related to an increased expression of calcium-binding proteins, which may protect against the elevated calcium levels seen in dystrophic fibers. The expression of sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic-reticulum Ca2+-ATPase and calsequestrin was examined in ILM and in nonspared limb muscles of control and mdx mice using immunofluorescence and immunoblotting. D...
Source: Muscle - March 19, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Renato Ferretti, Maria Julia Marques, Adriana Pertille, Humberto Santo Neto Source Type: journals

Lung and respiratory muscle function in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Pulmonary dysfunction is not a well-recognized feature of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence and type of pulmonary and respiratory muscle dysfunction in FSHD. Sixteen patients with moderately advanced FSHD and 16 healthy controls were evaluated. Standard lung and respiratory muscle function tests were performed. Diaphragm muscle inspiratory action was evaluated with transdiaphragmatic pressure measurements. Lung function tests showed an increased residual volume in five patients. There was a significant difference in global respiratory muscle function in pat...
Source: Muscle - March 19, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Joerg-Patrick Stübgen, Cedric Schultz Source Type: journals

Current treatments of chronic immune-mediated demyelinating polyneuropathiesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. discuss this article 1 CommentDiscuss or comment on this article.
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP), multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN), and anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein (anti-MAG) neuropathy are three demyelinating acquired neuropathies, with distinct responses to immunotherapy. In placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trials, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) has been effective for CIDP and MMN, and plasmapheresis has been effective for CIDP. Corticosteroids have been beneficial in controlled trials for CIDP. Other agents, including cyclophosphamide, rituximab, azathioprine, cyclosporine, interferons, fludarabine, mycophenolate mofetil, and e...
Source: Muscle - March 19, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Thomas H. Brannagan III Source Type: journals

Quantitative gray-scale analysis in skeletal muscle ultrasound: A comparison study of two ultrasound devicesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Muscle ultrasound is a useful technique to detect neuromuscular disorders. Quantification of muscle echo intensity (EI) using gray-scale analysis is more reliable and more sensitive compared with visual evaluation of the images. We devised a method to reliably use EI normal values established with one ultrasound device for use with another device. Based on measurements in a dedicated phantom and in 7 healthy subjects, a conversion equation was calculated to convert the mean EI. The reliability of this equation was next evaluated in a follow-up study of 22 healthy children. Mean muscle EI could be reliably converted from on...
Source: Muscle - March 19, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Sigrid Pillen, Johannes P. van Dijk, Gert Weijers, Wilma Raymann, Chris L. de Korte, Machiel J. Zwarts Source Type: journals

Comparison of electromyographic responses for the superficial quadriceps muscles: Cycle versus knee-extensor ergometryEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The purpose of this study was to compare the electromyographic (EMG) amplitude and mean power frequency (MPF) versus power output relationships for the three superficial quadriceps muscles during incremental cycle (CE) and knee-extensor (KE) ergometry in the same subjects. Eight men performed incremental CE and KE tests to exhaustion. Surface EMG signals were recorded simultaneously from the vastus lateralis (VL), rectus femoris (RF), and vastus medialis (VM). Polynomial regression analyses on a subject-by-subject basis indicated that the relationship between EMG amplitude versus power output was best-fit with either a lin...
Source: Muscle - March 19, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Moh H. Malek, Jared W. Coburn, Vince Tedjasaputra Source Type: journals

Behavior of fascicles and the myotendinous junction of human medial gastrocnemius following eccentric strength trainingEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study is the first in which measurements of thickness, fascicle angle and length, and tendon elongation were combined to examine the impact of eccentric strength training on both muscle architecture and tendinous structures. Eighteen healthy male subjects were divided into an eccentric strength training group (n = 10) and a control group (n = 8). The training program consisted of 18 sessions of eccentric exercises over a 7-week period. All subjects were tested at baseline and after the last training session. Using ultrasound imaging, the fascicle angle and length and thickness of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) were ana...
Source: Muscle - March 19, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Julien Duclay, Alain Martin, Alice Duclay, Gilles Cometti, Michel Pousson Source Type: journals

Processed allografts and type I collagen conduits for repair of peripheral nerve gapsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Autografting is the gold standard in the repair of peripheral nerve injuries that are not amenable to end-to-end coaptation. However, because autografts result in donor-site defects and are a limited resource, an effective substitute would be valuable. In a rat model, we compared isografts with Integra NeuraGen® (NG) nerve guides, which are a commercially available type I collagen conduit, with processed rat allografts comparable to AxoGen's Avance® human decellularized allograft product. In a 14-mm sciatic nerve gap model, isograft was superior to processed allograft, which was in turn superior to NG conduit at 6 weeks ...
Source: Muscle - March 16, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Elizabeth L. Whitlock, Sami H. Tuffaha, Janina P. Luciano, Ying Yan, Daniel A. Hunter, Christina K. Magill, Amy M. Moore, Alice Y. Tong, Susan E. Mackinnon, Gregory H. Borschel Source Type: journals

Fast-twitch sarcomeric and glycolytic enzyme protein loss in inclusion body myositisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is an inflammatory disease of skeletal muscle of unknown cause. To further understand the nature of the tissue injury in this disease, we developed methods for large-scale detection and quantitation of proteins in muscle biopsy samples and analyzed proteomic data produced by these methods together with histochemical, immunohistochemical, and microarray data. Twenty muscle biopsy samples from patients with inflammatory myopathies (n = 17) or elderly subjects without neuromuscular disease (n = 3) were profiled by proteomic studies using liquid chromatographic separation of peptides followed by m...
Source: Muscle - March 16, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Kenneth C. Parker, Sek Won Kong, Ronan J. Walsh, Bch, Mohammad Salajegheh, Behzad Moghadaszadeh, Anthony A. Amato, Remedios Nazareno, Yin Yin Lin, Bryan Krastins, David A. Sarracino, Alan H. Beggs, Jack L. Pinkus, Steven A. Greenberg Source Type: journals

Anatomical information is needed in ultrasound imaging of muscle to avoid potentially substantial errors in measurement of muscle geometryEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study validates two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound measurements of muscle geometry of the human medial gastrocnemius (GM) and investigates effects of probe orientation on errors in these measurements. Ultrasound scans of GM muscle belly were made both on human cadavers (n = 4) and on subjects in vivo (n = 5). For half of the cadavers, ultrasound scans obtained according to commonly applied criteria of probe orientation deviated 15° from the true fascicle plane. This resulted in errors of fascicle length and fascicle angle up to 14% and 23%, respectively. Fascicle-like structures were detectable over a wide range of prob...
Source: Muscle - March 16, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Menno R. Bénard, Jules G. Becher, Jaap Harlaar, Peter A. Huijing, Richard T. Jaspers Source Type: journals

Repetitive stretch suppresses denervation-induced atrophy of soleus muscle in ratsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study was conducted to examine whether stretch-related mechanical loading on skeletal muscle can suppress denervation-induced muscle atrophy, and if so, to depict the underlying molecular mechanism. Denervated rat soleus muscle was repetitively stretched (every 5 s for 15 min/day) for 2 weeks. Histochemical analysis showed that the cross-sectional area of denervated soleus muscle fibers with repetitive stretching was significantly larger than that of control denervated muscle (P < 0.05). We then examined the involvement of the Akt/mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) cascade in the suppressive effects of repetitiv...
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Nobuhide Agata, Nobuaki Sasai, Masumi Inoue-Miyazu, Keisuke Kawakami, Kimihide Hayakawa, Kunihiko Kobayashi, Masahiro Sokabe Source Type: journals

Concentric and single fiber needle electrodes yield comparable jitter results in myasthenia gravisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study we wanted to establish whether data acquired using the SFNE is comparable to that obtained using the CNE when studying patients with MG. We established reference data for our laboratory using the CNE for orbicularis oculi (OO) and extensor digitorum communis (EDC). We compared data from 24 MG patients using both SFNE and CNE and found no significant differences in mean jitter values for either muscles. We correlated the neurophysiological data obtained by either electrode with various clinical assessments, the ice pack test, OO and EDC strength measurement, and MGFA classification of disease, and we found no ...
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Maria E. Farrugia, Andrew I. Weir, Marie Cleary, Sarah Cooper, Richard Metcalfe, Arup Mallik Source Type: journals

Correlating extent of neuromuscular instability with acetylcholine receptor antibodiesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In a retrospective study of 86 patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), we correlated the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody titers with single-fiber EMG studies to explore whether a relationship exists between these parameters. We found that the AChR antibody titers correlated significantly with the mean of the mean consecutive difference of orbicularis oculi (OO, P < 0.0001) and extensor digitorum communis (EDC, P < 0.0001). The correlation was found to be stronger in OO. The antibody titers also correlated with the percentage of potential pairs with increased jitter in both muscles and, again, the correlation was more ...
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Maria E. Farrugia, Saiju Jacob, Ptolemaios G. Sarrigiannis, Robin P. Kennett Source Type: journals

Epidemiologic variability of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy with different diagnostic criteria: Study of a UK populationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We examined the prevalence and incidence of CIDP in Leicestershire and Rutland, UK (population 963,600). Prevalence day was 1 May 2008. The prevalence of CIDP fulfilling the 2006 clinical and electrophysiologic European Federation of Neurological Societies/Peripheral Nerve Society (EFNS/PNS) criteria was 4.77 per 100,000 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.49-6.37). Using the 1991 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) criteria, the prevalence was 1.97 per 100,000 in this population (95% CI 1.19-3.08). Lewis-Sumner syndrome was diagnosed in 15.2% of patients, and 23.9% had pure sensory onset. Over 40% required no immunotherapy, a...
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Yusuf A. Rajabally, Benjamin S. Simpson, Sushil Beri, John Bankart, Jayaprakash A. Gosalakkal Source Type: journals

Reliability of quantitative sudomotor axon reflex testing and quantitative sensory testing in neuropathy of impaired glucose regulationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study evaluates the reproducibility of neurophysiologic tests within a multicenter research setting. Twenty-three participants with neuropathy and IGR were recruited from two study sites. The reproducibility of quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test (QSART) and quantitative sensory test (QST) (using the CASE IV system) was determined in a subset of patients at two sessions, and it was calculated from intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). QST (cold detection threshold: ICC = 0.80; vibration detection threshold: ICC = 0.75) was more reproducible than QSART (ICC foot = 0.52). The performance of multiple tests in o...
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Amanda Peltier, A. Gordon Smith, James W. Russell, Kiran Sheikh, Billie Bixby, James Howard, Jonathan Goldstein, Yanna Song, Lily Wang, Eva L. Feldman, J. Robinson Singleton Source Type: journals

Preclinical drug trials in the mdx mouse: Assessment of reliable and sensitive outcome measuresEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The availability of animal models for Duchenne muscular dystrophy has led to extensive preclinical research on potential therapeutics. Few studies have focused on reliability and sensitivity of endpoints for mdx mouse drug trials. Therefore, we sought to compare a wide variety of reported and novel endpoint measures in exercised mdx and normal control mice at 10, 20, and 40 weeks of age. Statistical analysis as well as power calculations for expected effect sizes in mdx preclinical drug trials across different ages showed that body weight, normalized grip strength, horizontal activity, rest time, cardiac function measureme...
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Christopher F. Spurney, Heather Gordish-Dressman, Alfredo D. Guerron, Arpana Sali, Gouri S. Pandey, Rashmi Rawat, Jack H. Van Der Meulen, Hee-Jae Cha, Emidio E. Pistilli, Terence A. Partridge, Eric P. Hoffman, Kanneboyina Nagaraju Source Type: journals

Temporal characteristics of lower extremity moment generation in children with cerebral palsyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study tested ankle, knee, and hip flexion and extension moment generation capabilities in children with CP and in able-bodied children. Maximum voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC), the maximum rates of moment development and relaxation, and the time to produce and reduce the moments were quantified. Relationships between the temporal measures, Gross Motor Function Measure-66 (GMFM-66), and MVICs were also examined. Children with CP had significantly reduced MVICs, maximum development, and relaxation rates, and increased times to produce and reduce moments. The maximum rates of moment development and relaxation at ...
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Andrea L. Downing, Kathleen J. Ganley, Deanne R. Fay, James J. Abbas Source Type: journals

Fully intact contact heat evoked potentials in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study we aimed to study the characteristic of contact heat-evoked potentials (CHEPs) in patients with ALS and to evaluate the nociceptive pathway in these patients. Sixty patients with ALS and 60 controls had pain elicited by a CHEP stimulator with an accelerated velocity of 70°C/s. Thermal stimuli were sent at 54.5°C to three body sites: the dorsum of the hand, the proximal volar forearm, and the skin near C7. CHEPs were recorded from Cz and Pz. The onset negative peak latencies were 561.2 ± 28.6 ms, 540.1 ± 39.2 ms, and 502.4 ± 26.2 ms when the dorsum of the hand, the proximal volar forearm, and skin near C7...
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Ying-Sheng Xu, Jun Zhang, Ju-Yang Zheng, Shuo Zhang, De-Xuan Kang, Dong-Sheng Fan Source Type: journals

Electrophysiology in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy with IGIVEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) received immune globulin intravenous, 10% caprylate/chromatography purified (IGIV-C, Gamunex; n = 59) or placebo (n = 58) every 3 weeks for up to 24 weeks (first period) in a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, response-conditional, crossover study. Motor and sensory nerves were assessed at baseline and endpoint/week 24. A nonsignificant trend toward improvement in the proximal amplitude of the most severely affected motor nerve was observed with IGIV-C (0.69 ± 1.86 mV) versus placebo (0.47 ± 2.29 mV), and a greater improvement of 1.08 ± 2.15 m...
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Vera Bril, Hans Katzberg, Peter Donofrio, Marta Banach, Marinos C. Dalakas, Chunqin Deng, Kim Hanna, Hans-Peter Hartung, Richard A.C. Hughes, Norman Latov, Ingemar S.J. Merkies, Pieter A. Van Doorn, ICE Study Group Source Type: journals

Botulinum toxin-induced paralysis leads to slower myosin heavy chain isoform composition and reduced titin content in juvenile rat gastrocnemius muscleEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Intramuscular injections of botulinum toxin A (Btx-A) and exercise are used in the treatment of muscle spasticity in children with cerebral palsy. However, little is known about the biological changes within muscle subsequent to Btx-A-induced paralysis and how the combination of Btx-A and exercise might affect the growing muscle. The wet mass, myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition, and titin content of the juvenile rat gastrocnemius muscle were determined 3 weeks after Btx-A injections and subsequent voluntary wheel-running exercise. Btx-A increased the proportion of type IIa (+121%) and IIx (+65%) MHC while decreasing the ...
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Kirsten Legerlotz, Kenneth G. Matthews, Christopher D. McMahon, Heather K. Smith Source Type: journals

Histomorphological and functional impacts of postoperative motor training in rats after allograft sciatic nerve transplantation under low-dose FK 506Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study aimed to determine the effect of motor training on recovery after nerve transplantation under low-dose FK 506. Rats (n = 30) of two strains were randomly assigned to three groups. Group I served as untreated controls; groups II and III received allograft transplants for reconstruction of the sciatic nerve and FK 506 (0.1 mg/kg/d). Nonoperated limbs served as intra-animal controls. Group III received postoperative motor training. Functional and histomorphological outcomes were assessed by walking track analysis and by blob analysis for myelinization of nerve sections. Regeneration occurred in both groups II and I...
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Jan Rustemeyer, Aleksandra Krajacic, Ursula Dicke Source Type: journals

Differential effects of plantar cutaneous afferent excitation on soleus stretch and H-reflexEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study extends the reported findings on the contribution of plantar cutaneous afferents within spinal interneuron reflex circuits as a function of their location and the reflex studied. Muscle Nerve, 2008
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Dimitry G. Sayenko, Albert H. Vette, Hiroki Obata, Maria I. Alekhina, Masami Akai, Kimitaka Nakazawa Source Type: journals

Effect of newly proposed CK reference limits on neuromuscular diagnosisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The objective was to determine the effect of a proposed increase in the upper reference limits of serum creatine kinase (CK) on neuromuscular disease diagnosis. This was a retrospective study of 94 Caucasian subjects (49 women and 45 men) in whom a neuromuscular physician ordered a CK as part of their evaluation. The patients were divided into two groups: those with diagnoses that either should or could elevate serum CK, and those with diagnoses that should not elevate serum CK. Sensitivities and specificities of the manufacturer's and the newly proposed upper reference limits were determined. For women, raising the upper ...
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Rachel A. Nardin, Amy R. Zarrin, Gary L. Horowitz, Andrew W. Tarulli Source Type: journals

Frequency of radiculopathies in motor vehicle accidentsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This retrospective study compared the frequency of electrodiagnostically confirmed cervical and lumbar radiculopathies in a motor vehicle accident (MVA) population to that of a non-MVA population in 24,651 consecutive initial electrodiagnostic reports. The frequency of cervical radiculopathy was slightly but significantly increased in 8% of the MVA compared to 6% of the non-MVA patients. The frequency of plexopathy was significantly increased in the MVA (3%) compared to the non-MVA patients (2%). The frequency of lumbar radiculopathy was not significantly increased (12% for both groups). Nineteen percent of the MVA patient...
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Randall L. Braddom, Lawrence Spitz, Michael H. Rivner Source Type: journals

Anatomic variation of the innervation of the flexor digitorum profundus muscle and its clinical implicationsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In anterior interosseous nerve syndrome and ulnar neuropathy, paralysis or weakness of the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) muscles has been shown to vary according to the degree of involvement of the median and ulnar nerves, respectively. We traced these nerves in 50 cadaveric specimens in which each FDP was completely separated. The specimens were classified into six anatomic and another six presumptive electromyography (EMG) types according to the innervation patterns of the entire and the proximal one-third of the FDP muscles, respectively. The diverse anatomic and presumptive EMG types in this study suggest that the F...
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Chang-Seok Oh, Hyung-Sun Won, Kyu-Seok Lee, In-Hyuk Chung, Seung Min Kim Source Type: journals

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in MG: To be or not to be?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article is a review of the mechanisms, therapeutic effects, and drawbacks, with both old and new AChEIs in MG. Muscle Nerve, 2009
Source: Muscle - March 3, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Anna Rostedt Punga, Erik Stålberg Source Type: journals

Velocity recovery cycles of human muscle action potentials and their sensitivity to ischemiaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study was undertaken to test whether recovery cycle measurements can provide useful information about the membrane potential of human muscle fibers. Multifiber responses to direct muscle stimulation through needle electrodes were recorded from the brachioradialis of healthy volunteers, and the latency changes measured as conditioning stimuli were applied at interstimulus intervals of 2-1000 ms. In all subjects, the relative refractory period (RRP), which lasted 3.27 ± 0.45 ms (mean ± SD, n = 12), was followed by a phase of supernormality, in which the velocity increased by 9.3 ± 3.4% at 6.1 ± 1.3 ms, and recovered...
Source: Muscle - February 19, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Werner J. Z'Graggen, Hugh Bostock Source Type: journals

Juvenile myasthenia gravisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
shares a similar pathophysiologic origin with adult myasthenia gravis, but there are important differences, mostly relating to epidemiology, presentation, and therapeutic decision making. Gender ratios and the proportion of seropositive patients differ in the pre- and postpubertal age groups. The diagnostic evaluation is similar to that in adults, although special techniques are sometimes necessary to perform single-fiber electromyography in younger patients. Therapeutic decisions in affected children and adolescents are complicated by the greater long-term consequences of using steroids, and thus other interventions, suc...
Source: Muscle - February 19, 2009 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Laura M. Chiang, Basil T. Darras, Peter B. Kang Source Type: journals