ABSTRACT
A number of studies have investigated the effect of age, trauma, disease and fatigue on cervical joint position sense. However, there is an absence in data regarding the role of posture on proprioception. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of Forward Head Posture [FHP] on cervical joint position sense. Twenty Forward Head Posture volunteers [14 women, 6 men], with the mean age of 23.94 [SD=3.26] years, and 17 normal head posture volunteers [8 women, 9 men] with the mean age of 23.50 [SD=2.68] years were asked to perform the Cervicocephalic relocation test [CRT] to the neutral head position [NHP]. The aim of this test was to evaluate the participants' ability to relocate the head to neutral position after they actively rotated it to left and right sides. Three trials were performed for each rotation to the left and right. In order to assess cervical joint repositioning accuracy, Absolute, Constant and Variable errors were used. No significant difference in repositioning errors was observed between experimental and control group in absolute and constant errors [P>0.05]; however, compared to normal group, Forward Head Posture subjects manifested significantly higher levels of variable errors [P<0.05]. Forward Head Posture can significantly affect the positioning consistency of cervical proprioception. Nonetheless, further investigation on the effect of Forward Head Posture on cervical proprioception in altered situations is recommended
ABSTRACT
Many experimental studies have reported behavioral improvement after transplantation of peripheral nerve tissue into the contused spinal cord, even in large animals. The safety of this treatment in human remains unknown. In this translational phase 1 study, safety of peripheral nerve grafting for chronic spinal cord injuries and possible outcomes are being reported. Twelve complete motor spinal cord injury patients, who had finished their rehabilitation program, were enrolled. There were 4 thoracic and 8 cervical cases. Patients underwent sural nerve preconditioning in the calf, followed 1week later, by intramedullary transplantation of the harvested nerve fascicles. The patients were followed up for potential complications periodically, and final assessment by American Spinal Injury association [ASIA] and Spinal Cord Independence Measure [SCIM] III were reported after 2 years of follow-up. The median duration of the spinal cord injury was 31 months. At two years of follow up, out of 7 cases with ASIA Impairment Scale [AIS] A, 4 [57.1%] cases improved to AIS B and 1 [14.3%] case became AIS C. There were 1 patient with transient increased spasm, one case of transient cystitis, 3 patients with transient increased neuropathic pain and 1 case with transient episode of autonomic dysreflexia, all being managed medically. There was no case of donor site infection. The above complications were transient as they responded to temporary medical treatment. It may be deduced that after two years follow-up of patients that the procedure may be safe, however further controlled studies are needed to prove its efficacy
ABSTRACT
Vincristine [VCR] as a frequently used antimitotic agent which is commonly prescribed for wide spectrum of neoplasm, causes mixed sensorimotor neuropathy. Several evidences show lithium could be a neuroprotective agent, therefore to assess whether a pretreatment and at subtherapeutic dose it could prevent the peripheral neuropathy produced by VCR, rats were treated with VCR 0.1mg/kg i.p. for 3 alternative doses and / or lithium chloride [20mg/kg or 40 mg/kg i.p. daily from the first day to the day of sacrifice]. Erythrocyte lithium concentration [ELC] and plasma lithium concentration [PLC] were measured at the seventh day of study and the day of scarification. After seventh day of lithium administration, PLC and ELC reached to a steady state at subtherapeutic dose and they did not significantly change at normal housing situation. Hot plate, open field test and nerve conduction velocity were used to evaluate the sensory and motor neuropathy. Only VCR treated rats showed behavioral, electrophysiological and histological evidences of a mixed sensorimotor neuropathy by significant increase in hot plate latencies and a marked decrease in total distance moved and conduction velocities in both sensory and motor nerves. Lithium at the dose of 20mg/kg and specially 40mg/kg robustly reduced the rate of mortality, general toxicity and was able to ameliorate mixed sensorimotor neuropathy induced by VCR. These results suggest that lithium at dose of 20mg/kg and 40 mg/kg, potentially by its effects on cell survival pathways such as inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 [GSK3beta], can prevent both motor and sensory components of VCR neuropathy
ABSTRACT
Delayed onset muscle soreness [DOMS], which occurs after eccentric exercises, may cause some reduction in ability in sport activities. For this reason, numerous recovery strategies have been used in an attempt to control the inflammatory-type response. Physical modalities have demonstrated no effect on the alleviation of muscle soreness or other DOMS symptoms. Whole-body vibration [WBV] has been suggested as a viable warm-up in sport fields. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence to support the protective effects of WBV-Training [WBVT] on muscle damage. Thirty-two healthy untrained volunteers randomly assigned into two groups: WBVT [n=15] and control [n=17]. Subjects performed 6 sets of 10 maximal isokinetic [60[degree sign].s-1] eccentric contractions of knee extensors with dominant limb on a dynamometer. In the WBVT group before eccentric exercise, whole body vibration was applied using a vibratory platform [Power Plate, 35 Hz, 5 mm peak-to-peak amplitude], with 100 [degree sign] knee flexion for 60 seconds while no vibration was applied in the control group. DOMS criteria [serum creatine kinase [CK], pressure pain threshold [PPT], muscle soreness, thigh circumference and maximal voluntary isometric exertion] were recorded at baseline, immediately after, 1to 14 days postexercise. WBVT group showed significant reduction of DOMS symptoms in terms of lower CK levels, less PPT, less muscle soreness and lower maximal isometric voluntary strength loss compared to the control group [P< 0.05] However, no significant effect on thigh circumference was evident [P> 0.05]. The findings of this study showed that WBVT administered before eccentric exercise may control and prevent DOMS and enhance the quadriceps muscle activity. Further investigation should be undertaken to ascertain the effectiveness of WBVT in athletes