Electroneuromyography comparison between pre-elderly adult females with and without MS; the potential role of a mind-body therapy in improving neurophysiological profile of MS during pandemic

Abstract

IntroductionImaginary exercises seem to be useful therapeutic approaches to modulate neuromuscular functions due to two main reasons: first, this training would not greatly increase body temperature, and secondly, it can positively affect brain-muscle pathways—which are both primary factors should be considered in rehabilitation programs for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Method32 pre-elderly adult females with relapsing-remitting MS (n = 16 - age M (SD): 56.75 (5.07)) and without MS (n = 16 - age M (SD): 56.56 (4.35)) voluntarily recruited. First, they were assigned into two groups: MS patients and healthy controls, to investigate baseline between-group comparison. Then, MS patients were randomly divided into two groups of eight each, designated as experimental and control groups. Recording the nerve conduction velocity (NCV) of tibial nerve and integrated electromyographic muscle activation (IEMG) of gastrocnemius muscle was conducted twice, before and after a six-week mind-body exercise therapy to evaluate its effectiveness on improving neuromuscular function. ResultsThe results showed significant difference in both tibial NCV (P < 0.001) and IEMG (P = 0.001) variables between non-MS group and MS group. Furthermore, there was a significant main effect of intervention (P = 0.05) and time (P < 0.001) on IEMG in the MS group, while there was no significant effect of intervention (P = 0.18) and time (P = 0.23) on NCV (p = 0.89). ConclusionNeuromuscular dysfunction were apparent in MS patients, and a mind-body therapy of imagery isometric training was found to be useful on improving the neurological deficit in women with MS. Trial registration numberUMIN000046935.