[The influence of non-invasive electrical stimulation of the spinal cord on the locomotor function of patients presenting with movement disorders of central genesis]. / Vliianie neinvazivnoi élektricheskoi stimuliatsii spinnogo mozga na lokomotornye funktsii patsientov s dvigatel'nymi narusheniiami tsentral'nogo geneza.

AIM: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of non-invasive (transcutaneous) electrical spinal cord stimulation on the locomotor function of the patients suffering from movement disorders. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study involved 10 patients of both sexes at the age from 32 to 70 years (including 40% of men and 60% of women) presenting with the compromised locomotor function of varying severity associated with the disturbances of cerebral blood circulation caused either by an injury to the brain and spinal cord or by stroke. The transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation was applied using different frequency regimes with the placement of the electrodes in the projection onto the region of TXI-TXII vertebrae. The active factors were bipolar electrical stimuli 0.5 ms in duration; the current strength was chosen for each patient on an individual basis taking into consideration its threshold level. Electromyograms and evoked motor responses of selected muscles, viz. m. rectus femoris, m.biceps femoris, m. tibialis anterior, and m.gastrocnemius were recorded with the use of the 'Neuro-MVP-8 eight-channel electromyography' ('Neurosoft', Russia). RESULTS: The data obtained give evidence that the stimulation of the spinal cord with a frequency of 1 Hz induces reflectory responses with monosynaptic and polysynaptic components in the muscles of the lower extremities, with the thresholds of these responses being significantly higher in the patients presenting with serious neurological problems. Stimulation with the frequencies of 5 and 30 Hz caused in the patients with paresis the involuntary movement of the legs the characteristics of which were similar to those of the locomotor movements. CONCLUSION: It has been demonstrated that the application of transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation leads to increased excitability of the lumbar spinal neural structures of the patients. The study has shown the possibility of regulation of the locomotor functions in the patients presenting with movement disorders of central genesis by means of non-invasive electrical stimulation of the spinal cord.

[CHANGES BLOOD GAS AND OF FREE RADICAL OXIDATION OF LIPIDS IN THE MYOCARDIUM DURING ADAPTATION TO PHYSICAL STRESS].

The article considers the changes of gas composition, acid-base blood balance, lipid peroxidation processes, and activity of the antioxidant defense system in rat myocardium in the course of adaptation to physical activity (swimming). It has been found out that during the first five days physical activity is accompanied by hypoxia, acidotic blood changes, and increase of lipid peroxidation processes in myocardium. Adaptation to swimming activity (15-30 days) leads to hypoxic and acidotic blood changes, and increases antioxidant defense system in myocardium.

[Systemic and organ mechanisms of the organism oxygen supply in high altitude].

Organ and systemic mechanisms of organism oxygen supply in adaptation to high altitude of the Tien Shan (3200 m above sea level) were studied in the experiments on dogs. It is shown that in the first few days in the mountains (5-7th and 15th days) oxygen supply of the body is due to the increased delivery of O2 to organs and tissues; in the process of adaptation (30 days), the efficiency of tissue utilization of O2 increases. Changes of organ blood flow in visceral and somatic organs, features of compensation of the tissue hypoxia and oxygen supply of the heart, brain, skeletal muscle in different periods of adaptation to high altitude were established.

[Effect of head-down tilt on respiratory responses and human inspiratory muscles activity].

The effect of head-down tilt on respiration and diaphragmal and parasternal muscles activity was investigated in 11 healthy subjects. The short-time (30 min) head-down tilt posture (-30 degrees relatively horizont) increased the inspiratory time (P < 0.05), decreased breathing frequency (P < 0.05), inspiratory and expiratory flow rate (P < 0.05) and increased the airway resistance (P < 0.05) compared with values in vertical posture. There were no significant changes in tidal volume and minute ventilation. Constant values of tidal volume and minute ventilation during head-down tilt were provided by increasing in EMG activity of parasternal muscles more then twice. It was established that the contribution of chest wall inspiratory muscles increased while the diaphragm's contribution decreased during head-down spontaneous breathing. Maximal inspiratory effort (Muller's maneuver) during head-down tilt evoked the opposite EMG-activity pattern: the contribution of inspiratory thoracic muscles was decreased and diaphragm's EMG-activity was increased compared with vertical posture. These results suggest that coordinate modulations in inspiratory muscles activity allows to preserve the functional possibility of human inspiratory muscles during short-time head-down tilt.

Restructuring of the thyroid gland in primary hypothyroidism under the influence of intermittent hypobaric hypoxia.

We studied the effect of intermittent hypobaric hypoxia on morphofunctional characteristics of the thyroid gland during experimental hypothyroidism. Functional activity of the thyroid gland increased in the early period of hypoxia. Morphofunctional parameters reached a constant level with increasing the duration of hypoxia to 7-15 days. A new functional level was characterized by increased activity and normal function of glandular cells.

[Impact of intermittent hypobaric hypoxia on the thyroid morphofunctional state in experimental hyperthyroidism].

Within 5 days of hypoxia there was an increase in thyroid functional activity, but on days 15-30 there was a decrease in T3 and T4 concentrations and an increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone. Clear correlations were found between the morphometric indices of the thyroid epithelium and the blood concentration of T3 and T4. There was a relationship between the levels of thyroid hormones and the state of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

[Effect of normobaric hypoxia and physical load on the functional indices of cardiorespiratory system in overweight people]. / Effekt vozdeistviia normobaricheskoi gipoksii i fizicheskikh nagruzok na funktsional'nye pokazateli kardiorespiratornoi sistemy u lits s povyshennoi massoi tela.

Changes in the cardiorespiratory function in obese persons exposed to different combinations of normobaric hypoxia and physical exercise were studied. The results show a positive effect of combined use of normobaric hypoxic exercise on functional reserves of cardiorespiratory system, physical performance and aerobic potentialities in obese patients. The highest effect is achieved in combination of physical exercise with hypoxic gas mixtures breathing.

[Circadian rhythm of external respiration in patients with bronchial asthma treated with Melaxen]. / Tsirkadiannye ritmy parametrov vneshnego dykhaniia u bol'nykh bronkhial'noi astmoi pri lechenii melaksenom.

Melaxen treatment of bronchial asthma (BA) patients produced positive effects on biorhythms of external respiration. Quantitative characteristics of volume and speed rhythms change insignificantly. The basic quantitative effect consists in internal and external synchronization and elimination of ultradian rhythms indicating stabilization in the system of control and coordination of time structure of external respiration system.

[Structural changes in the liver of dogs under physical training at high altitude]. / Strukturnye izmeneniia v pecheni u sobak pri fizicheskikh trenirovkakh v usloviiakh vysokogor'ia.

Physical training in mountains leads to significant structural disorders in dog liver. In early stages (up to 15 days of staying in mountains) dystrophic processes prevail in trained animals liver, while in later ones (on day 30), repair processes take over, although destruction traits are still retained.

[Blood gases and organ blood flow in dogs during physical loading in the mountains]. / Gazy krovi i organnyi krovotok u sobak pri fizicheskikh nagruzkakh v gorakh.

At the altitude of 3200 m, the maximal exercise was accompanied by an obvious arterial hypoxia and redistribution of the blood flow in locomotor and respiratory muscles under conditions of the blood flow restriction in inner organs in dogs. These responses were particularly obvious during first days at the high altitude.