ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) is one of the most devastating injuries that has a physical impact on patients. The CHORDATA® method involves suspension and pendulous exercises and has been clinically used to treat patients with TSCI. Although empirically used to treat neurological patients, there is no scientific evidence of the efficacy of this method. PURPOSE: To evaluate the chronic effects of CHORDATA® method on torque, muscle activation, muscle thickness, and functionality in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury. METHODS: Twenty-six male patients with medullar thoracic injury were randomly categorised into two groups: intervention group (nâ¯=â¯14) and control group (nâ¯=â¯12). Rehabilitation program comprised of 16 sessions of body suspension and pendulum exercises (twice/week). The maximal voluntary isometric trunk flexion and extension torques, muscle activation and thickness (external and internal oblique, rectus and transversus abdominis, longissimus, and multifidus muscles), and functionality (adapted reach test) were evaluated before and after of rehabilitation program. FINDINGS: A significant increase was observed in maximal voluntary isometric torque (flexion, 58%; extension, 76%), muscle activation of the rectus abdominis muscle, and muscle thickness of all intervention group muscles, without changes in the control group. Compared to the pre-intervention period, the intervention group also showed improvement in functionality at post-intervention, but no such differences were noted in the control group. INTERPRETATION: The corporal suspension and pendulum exercises training improved rectus abdominis muscle activation, trunk muscles structure and strength, and reaching capacity in medullar thoracic injury patients.
Subject(s)
Abdominal Muscles/physiology , Abdominal Oblique Muscles/physiopathology , Exercise Therapy/methods , Rectus Abdominis/physiopathology , Spinal Cord Injuries/rehabilitation , Thoracic Injuries/rehabilitation , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Electromyography , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Muscle, Skeletal/physiology , Spinal Cord Injuries/physiopathology , Thoracic Injuries/physiopathology , Torque , Torso , Young AdultABSTRACT
Agmatine is a new putative neurotransmitter; however, the physiological role(s) of this endogenous released polyamine is still to be determined. We investigated its cognitive effect in an inhibitory avoidance task in adult rats. Agmatine (0.1, 1, 10, and 20 mg/kg) or saline was administered ip immediately after training or 1 h before testing. Posttraining injection of agmatine facilitated (p < 0.05) memory consolidation in this task; however pretest treatment showed no effect on retrieval (p > 0.05). We suggest that the facilitatory effect of agmatine on memory consolidation in inhibitory avoidance task might be mediated through the activation of the locus coeruleus.
