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ObjectiveTo study the brain network during balance control tasks in older adults. MethodsFrom January to April, 2022, 22 healthy young adults and 20 healthy older adults were recruited from the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University and communities. They were asked to finish standing tasks on the plantar pressure plate with eyes opening and closing, while the functional connectivities (FC) of prefrontal cortex (PFC) and primary motor cortex (PMC) were measured with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. ResultsCompared with the young adults, the area of the ellipse (Z = -2.884, P < 0.01) and the maximum swing (Z = -2.481, P < 0.05) increased in the older adults as eyes closing. During the standing task, the intra-FC of left (t = 2.978, P < 0.01) and right (Z = -3.123, P < 0.01) PFC decreased in the older adults, and the inter-FC of right PMC to left PFC (t = 2.087, P < 0.05) and right PFC to left PFC (t = 3.471, P < 0.001) decreased, too. ConclusionThe FC of PFC decreased in healthy older adults during balance control tasks, which may be a indicator for aging brain.
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Objective:To explore any effect of brain aging on the brain′s walking network and its mechanism.Methods:Twenty healthy elderly people and 22 healthy young adults formed an elderly group and a youth group. All were evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Timed Up and Go test (TUGT), the 10-metre walk test (10MWT), the functional near infrared spectroscopy walking synchrony test and GaitRite gait parameters. The intensity of functional connections and the gait parameters of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the primary motor cortex (MC) were compared between the two groups.Results:Compared with the youth group, the average cadence of the elderly group was significantly faster. The FC value of the RPFC in the homologous ROI, as well as those of the RMC-RPFC and RPFC-LPFC in the heterologous ROI of the elderly group were significantly lower than in the youth group.Conclusions:Lower FC values in the RPFC and its associated brain regions in the elderly during normal walking may be what activates the brain′s walking network in the early stage of brain aging.
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Objective To compare the clinical effects of palpation, ultrasound and electromyography (EMG) guided injection of botuli-num toxin type A (BTX-A) on spastic equinovarus in stroke patients. Methods Stroke patients with equinovarus were randomly assigned to palpation-guided group (n=19), ultrasound-guided group (n=21) and EMG-guided group (n=19). All of the patients received injection of BTX-A 300 U in gastrocnemius, soleus and tibialis posterior, guided in their own ways. They were measured with modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Physician Rating Scale (PRS), speed of gait, passive range of motion (PROM) of ankle dorsiflexion and eversion before and 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after injection. Results Compared with the baseline, all the indexes significantly improved after in-jection in all the groups (P<0.05). Compared with the EMG-guided group, the ultrasound-guided group improved significantly MAS at 4 weeks, PROM of ankle eversion at 4 and 12 weeks (P=0.046, P=0.008, P=0.038). Compared with the palpation-guided group, the ultra-sound-guided group improved significantly in MAS (P=0.015), PRS (P=0.01), PROM of ankle dorsiflexion and eversion (P=0.003, P=0.011) at 4 weeks, in MAS (P=0.002) and PROM of ankle dorsiflexion (P=0.022) at 8 weeks, in MAS (P=0.011) and PROM of ankle ever-sion (P=0.018) at 12 weeks. Compared with the palpation-guided group, the EMG-guided group improved significantly in PRS at 4weeks, PROM of ankle dorsiflexion at 4 and 8 weeks (P=0.048, P=0.08, P=0.026). There was no significantly difference in the variations with the time among 3 groups. Conclusion The correction of equinovarus in stroke patients can be obtained by BTX-A injection with any type of guidance technique. Ultrasound-guided technique is considered a valid alternative, which has a slight advantage over EMG-guided tech-nique. Both the EMG-and ultrasound-guided techniques obtained superior results to palpation-guided technique.
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Objective To observe the effect of Tangbi Capsules(TC)on ultrastructure of sciatic nerve in diabetic rats.Methods SD diabetic rat models were induced by one-dose intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin(50 mg/kg).Then the diabetic rats were randomized into 5 groups: model group,high-and low-dose TC groups(in the dose of 1 and 0.5 g?kg-1?d-1 respectively),mecobalamin(250 ?g?kg-1?d-1)group,and the combination group(receiving TC 0.5 g?kg-1?d-1 and mecobalamin 250 ?g?kg-1?d-1).Meanwhile,the normal control group was also set up.After treatment for 4 weeks,the changes of utrastructure of sciatic nerve in different groups were observed under electron microscope.Results The pathological changes of sciatic nerve in diabetic rats were similar with the clinical peripheral neuropathy.The protective effect on sciatic nerve in high-dose TC group was superior to that in low-dose TC group and mecobalamin group,and the combination group had the best protective effect.Conclusion TC exerts certain protective effect on diabetic peripheral neuropathy.