Grip Test Research Articles

Evaluation of the Biodistribution, Efficacy, and Side-Effect Profile of Deflazacort, Prednisolone and Vamorolone in a DMD Mouse Model (S34.010)

Evaluation of the Biodistribution, Efficacy, and Side-Effect Profile of Deflazacort, Prednisolone and Vamorolone in a DMD Mouse Model (S34.010)

Lumbar endplate microfracture injury induces Modic-like changes, intervertebral disc degeneration and spinal cord sensitization – an in vivo rat model

BACKGROUND CONTEXTEndplate (EP) injury plays critical roles in painful IVD degeneration since Modic changes (MCs) are highly associated with pain. Models of EP microfracture that progress to painful conditions are needed to better understand pathophysiological mechanisms and screen therapeutics. PURPOSEEstablish in vivo rat lumbar EP microfracture model and assess crosstalk between IVD, vertebra and spinal cord. STUDY DESIGN/SETTINGIn vivo rat EP microfracture injury model with characterization of IVD degeneration, vertebral remodeling, spinal cord substance P (SubP), and pain-related behaviors. METHODSEP-injury was induced in 5 month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats L4–5 and L5–6 IVDs by puncturing through the cephalad vertebral body and EP into the NP of the IVDs followed by intradiscal injections of TNFα (n=7) or PBS (n=6), compared with Sham (surgery without EP-injury, n=6). The EP-injury model was assessed for IVD height, histological degeneration, pain-like behaviors (hindpaw von Frey and forepaw grip test), lumbar spine MRI and μCT, and spinal cord SubP. RESULTSSurgically-induced EP microfracture with PBS and TNFα injection induced IVD degeneration with decreased IVD height and MRI T2 signal, vertebral remodeling, and secondary damage to cartilage EP adjacent to the injury. Both EP injury groups showed MC-like changes around defects with hypointensity on T1-weighted and hyperintensity on T2-weighted MRI, suggestive of MC type 1. EP injuries caused significantly decreased paw withdrawal threshold, reduced axial grip, and increased spinal cord SubP, suggesting axial spinal discomfort and mechanical hypersensitivity and with spinal cord sensitization. CONCLUSIONSSurgically-induced EP microfracture can cause crosstalk between IVD, vertebra, and spinal cord with chronic pain-like conditions. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCEThis rat EP microfracture model was validated to induce broad spinal degenerative changes that may be useful to improve understanding of MC-like changes and for therapeutic screening.

EVALUATION OF CARDIOVASCULAR AUTONOMIC FUNCTION TESTS IN OBESE AND NON-OBESE HEALTHY INDIANS

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a centre for the coordination of different body systems. Since the ANS is involved in energy metabolism and in the regulation of almost all visceral systems. It is conceivable that one or more subgroups of persons with idiopathic obesity have an alteration in their autonomic nervous system that may account for several clinical consequences of obesity. This observational study was conducted to find the association of Autonomic Function Tests among obese and non-obese participants. Among 90 participants, 45 were obese and 45 were non-obese, aged 18-40 years of either gender was enrolled after getting their voluntary written consent. In both the groups, Cold Pressure Test and Hand Grip Test were performed for evaluating sympathetic functions. Standing test (30:15 RR Ratio), Standing to Lying ratio, and Valsalva ratio were performed for evaluating parasympathetic functions. Chi-square and unpaired t test was employed for statistical analysis. A statistically significant association of Autonomic Function Tests among obese and non-obese participants was found as per BMI and Body Fat Percentage criteria. Study explored that obesity was associated with ANS dysfunction as compared to non-obese; this relationship was observed primarily in terms of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. The results of this study are indicative of autonomic insufficiency among obese participants.

Poly(I:C)-induced maternal immune activation causes elevated self-grooming in male rat offspring: Involvement of abnormal postpartum static nursing in dam.

Introduction: Maternal immune activation (MIA) is closely related to the onset of autism-like behaviors in offspring, but the mechanism remains unclear. Maternal behaviors can influence offspring's development and behaviors, as indicated in both human and animal studies. We hypothesized that abnormal maternal behaviors in MIA dams might be other factors leading to delayed development and abnormal behaviors in offspring. Methods: To verify our hypothesis, we analyzed poly(I:C)-induced MIA dam's postpartum maternal behavior and serum levels of several hormones related to maternal behavior. Pup's developmental milestones and early social communication were recorded and evaluated in infancy. Other behavioral tests, including three-chamber test, self-grooming test, open field test, novel object recognition test, rotarod test and maximum grip test, were performed in adolescence of pups. Results: Our results showed that MIA dams exhibit abnormal static nursing behavior but normal basic care and dynamic nursing behavior. The serum levels of testosterone and arginine vasopressin in MIA dams were significantly reduced compared with control dams. The developmental milestones, including pinna detachment, incisor eruption and eye opening, were significantly delayed in MIA offspring compared with control offspring, while the weight and early social communication showed no significant differences between the two groups. Behavioral tests performed in adolescence showed that only male MIA offspring display elevated self-grooming behaviors and reduced maximum grip. Discussion: In conclusion, MIA dams display abnormal postpartum static nursing behavior concomitantly with reduced serum levels of testosterone and arginine vasopressin, possibly involving in the pathogenesis of delayed development and elevated self-grooming in male offspring. These findings hint that improving dam's postpartum maternal behavior might be a potential regime to counteract delayed development and elevated self-grooming in male MIA offspring.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosome suppresses programmed cell death in traumatic brain injury via PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy.

Recently, human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (HucMSC)-derived exosome is a new focus of research in neurological diseases. The present study was aimed to investigate the protective effects of HucMSC-derived exosome in both in vivo and in vitro TBI models. We established both mouse and neuron TBI models in our study. After treatment with HucMSC-derived exosome, the neuroprotection of exosome was investigated by the neurologic severity score (NSS), grip test score, neurological score, brain water content, and cortical lesion volume. Moreover, we determined the biochemical and morphological changes associated with apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis after TBI. We revealed that treatment of exosome could improve neurological function, decrease cerebral edema, and attenuate brain lesion after TBI. Furthermore, administration of exosome suppressed TBI-induced cell death, apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis. In addition, exosome-activated phosphatase and tensin homolog-induced putative kinase protein 1/Parkinson protein 2 E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase (PINK1/Parkin) pathway-mediated mitophagy after TBI. However, the neuroprotection of exosome was attenuated when mitophagy was inhibited, and PINK1 was knockdown. Importantly, exosome treatment also decreased neuron cell death, suppressed apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis and activated the PINK1/Parkin pathway-mediated mitophagy after TBI in vitro. Our results provided the first evidence that exosome treatment played a key role in neuroprotection after TBI through the PINK1/Parkin pathway-mediated mitophagy.

Effect of a family-involvement combined aerobic and resistance exercise protocol on cancer-related fatigue in patients with breast cancer during postoperative chemotherapy: study protocol for a quasi-randomised controlled trial

IntroductionCancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most common and debilitating side effects experienced by patients with breast cancer (BC) during postoperative chemotherapy. Family-involvement combined aerobic and resistance exercise has...

Long-Term Performance and Safety Implications of High-Friction Surfacing Treatments

Although high-friction surface treatments (HFSTs) are a proven efficient countermeasure for the reduction of roadway departure crashes, their long-term pavement performance has yet not been fully understood with large-scale field monitoring. This paper presented and analyzed 3 years of monitoring results on 36 HFST sites located in 12 states in the US ranging from 0 to 11 years in treatment age. Taking the traffic directions and number of lanes at each site into consideration, a total of 65 HFST segments were measured. Onsite data were collected by a Grip Tester for pavement friction, the PaveVision3D laser imaging system for condition evaluation and high-resolution pavement images, and the AMES high-speed profiler for surface texture and roughness. The evolutions of HFST surface characteristics and field performance were evaluated. It was found that most HFST sites continued providing superior friction values compared with the neighboring nontreated surfaces. Cracking and surface delamination were observed as the major failure types on a few sites. The delaminated area exhibited higher roughness values and lower friction numbers. Subsequently, a multivariant friction prediction model was developed to assist in understanding its influencing factors and deterioration trends. Furthermore, a safety performance function was built for crash frequency estimation on HFST sites, through which the benefit of HFST in reducing roadway departure crashes could be further quantified.

Dietary phosphate restriction prevents the appearance of sarcopenia signs in old mice.

Sarcopenia is defined by the progressive and generalized loss of muscle mass and function associated with aging. We have previously proposed that aging-related hyperphosphataemia is linked with the appearance of sarcopenia signs. Because there are not effective treatments to prevent sarcopenia, except for resistance exercise, we propose here to analyse whether the dietary restriction of phosphate could be a useful strategy to improve muscle function and structure in an animal model of aging. Five-month-old (young), 24-month-old (old) and 28-month-old (geriatric) male C57BL6 mice were used. Old and geriatric mice were divided into two groups, one fed with a standard diet (0.6% phosphate) and the other fed with a low-phosphate (low-P) diet (0.2% phosphate) for 3 or 7months, respectively. A phosphate binder, Velphoro®, was also supplemented in a group of old mice, mixed with a standard milled diet for 3months. Muscle mass was measured by the weight of gastrocnemius and tibial muscles, and quality by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI) and histological staining assays. Muscle strength was measured by grip test and contractile properties of the tibialis muscle by electrical stimulation of the common peroneal nerve. Gait parameters were analysed during the spontaneous locomotion of the mice with footprinting. Orientation and motor coordination were evaluated using a static rod test. Old mice fed with low-P diet showed reduced serum phosphate concentration (16.46±0.77mg/dL young; 21.24±0.95mg/dL old; 17.46±0.82mg/dL low-P diet). Old mice fed with low-P diet displayed 44% more mass in gastrocnemius muscles with respect to old mice (P=0.004). NMRI revealed a significant reduction in T2 relaxation time (P=0.014) and increased magnetization transfer (P=0.045) and mean diffusivity (P=0.045) in low-P diet-treated mice compared with their coetaneous. The hypophosphataemic diet increased the fibre size and reduced the fibrotic area by 52% in gastrocnemius muscle with respect to old mice (P=0.002). Twitch force and tetanic force were significantly increased in old mice fed with the hypophosphataemic diet (P=0.004 and P=0.014, respectively). Physical performance was also improved, increasing gait speed by 30% (P=0.032) and reducing transition time in the static rod by 55% (P=0.012). Similar results were found when diet was supplemented with Velphoro®. The dietary restriction of phosphate in old mice improves muscle quantity and quality, muscle strength and physical performance. Similar results were found using the phosphate binder Velphoro®, supporting the role of phosphate in the impairment of muscle structure and function that occurs during aging.

Association between Sleep Duration and Grip Strength in U.S. Older Adults: An NHANES Analysis (2011-2014).

Handgrip strength has been shown an indispensable biomarker for older adults. Furthermore, the association between sleep duration and grip strength in special populations (e.g., type 2 diabetics) has been previously documented. However, the association between sleep duration and grip strength has been less studied in older adults and the dose-response relationship is unclear. Therefore, we drew 1881 participants aged 60 years and older from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014 to explore their association and the dose-response relationship. Sleep duration was obtained through self-report. Grip strength data were obtained through a grip test using a handgrip dynamometer and divided into two categories: low grip strength and normal grip strength. Thus, dichotomized grip strength was used as a dependent variable. Poisson regression and restricted cubic spline were used for the main part of the analysis. We found that long sleep duration (≥9 h) was associated with a higher prevalence of low grip strength than the normal sleep duration (7-<9 h) group (IRR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.12-1.69). Moreover, the gender-stratified analysis did not change the original results. This association was particularly pronounced and further strengthened among participants with normal weight (BMI < 25) (IRR: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.64-3.22) and participants aged 60-70 (IRR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.40-2.22). In addition, with the increase in sleep duration, the multivariate-adjusted IRRs of low grip strength had a general downward trend at first, followed by a brief period of stability, and then presented an upward trend (p-value for non-linearity = 0.001). According to this study, we found that older adults who had long sleep duration had a higher risk of low grip strength. Muscle insulin utilization and muscle glucose metabolism are closely related to grip strength, so our research emphasizes the importance of maintaining normal sleep duration in older adults and suggests that older adults who sleep for a long period should pay more attention to their muscle health.

Analysis of the force–time curve and median frequency of surface electromyographic signals during isometric hand grip test for estimation of a temporal pattern for muscle strengthening

This work presents methods developed for the analysis of dynamometric and electromyographic signals acquired during sustained maximal isometric hand grip tasks. In these analyses, we try to find a temporal pattern that could indicate the beginning of the decrease in hand grip strength. This information is essential for choosing the best isometric activity time for hand rehabilitation. The technique applied to the dynamometric signal was to find the time interval that precedes the drop of the isometric force RMS (root mean square) curve to values lower than the effective value. The technique applied to the surface electromyography (sEMG) signals was the identification of the instant when the lowest value of the median frequency of the signal occurs. The dynamometry data collection was carried out bilaterally in 19 men and 21 women. The electromyography data collection was carried out bilaterally in only 19 women. The statistical results (5% significance level) for the dynamometry data indicated that the time from the beginning of the test to the beginning of the decay of strength was approximately 7.6 $$\pm$$ 3.2 s, while the results for the sEMG data indicated that the time from the beginning of the test to the appearance of the lowest value of the median frequency was approximately 10.1 $$\pm$$ 2.9 s. The method of using the RMS values of the Force, presented by this work, found results of approximately 7 s, while the method most currently used (Median Frequency) found values of approximately 10 s. These results may help the rehabilitation professional to decide with more security the isometric time of exercises.

Masticatory Functionality in Post-Acute-COVID-Syndrome (PACS) Patients with and without Sarcopenia

Musculoskeletal symptoms are common in both acute COVID-19 disease and post-acute sequelae (Post-Acute COVID Syndrome). The purpose of this study is to investigate whether there are reduced levels of masticatory function in patients with PACS (Post Acute COVID Syndrome) who suffer from sarcopenia, under the hypothesis that the latter may also involve the masticatory muscles. This study includes 23 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 between February 2020 and April 2021 and currently suffering from PACS. Among these PACS patients, 13/23 (56%) suffer from sarcopenia, 5/23 (22%) complain of asthenia but do not suffer from sarcopenia and the remaining 5/23 (22%) do not present muscle symptoms (non-asthenic non-sarcopenic). Oral health indices of all patients were collected. The masticatory strength was assessed with a gnathodynamometer based on piezoresistive sensors, and the masticatory effectiveness was measured by administering the “chewing gum mixing ability test” by having patients perform 20 masticatory cycles on a two-color chewing gum and analyzing the outcome through the ViewGum© software. Moreover, we gathered data with a hand grip test and gait speed test. The data collected in this study show that PACS sarcopenic patients have decreased masticatory effectiveness and strength compared to PACS asthenic non-sarcopenic patients and PACS non-asthenic non-sarcopenic patients.

Behavioral and Pharmacokinetics Studies of N-Methyl-2-Aminoindane (NM2AI) in Mice: An Aminoindane Briefly Used in the Illicit Drug Market.

Drug forums are considered as the main platform sources that have contributed to the increase in NPS popularity, especially for those not yet known to law enforcement and therefore not yet illegal. An example is the new synthetic stimulant NM2AI, which has a very short history of human use and abuse. Little is known regarding this compound, but some information from internet forums and the scientific literature indicates NM2AI as a structural derivate of MDAI, which is known for its entactogenic activity. Indeed, the purpose of this study is to evaluate, for the first time, the in vivo acute effect induced by the intraperitoneal injection of NM2AI (1-10-30-100 mg/kg) in mice. We demonstrate the sensory (by visual placing and object tests) and physiological (core temperature measurement) function variations, nociceptor (by tail pinch test) and strength (grip test) alterations, and sensorimotor (time on rod and mobility) decrease. Moreover, we verify the mild hallucinogenic effect of NM2AI (by startle/prepulse inhibition test). Lastly, we perform a pharmacokinetic study on mice blood samples, highlighting that the main active metabolite of NM2AI is 2-aminoindane (2AI). Taken together, our data confirm the suspected entactogenic activity of NM2AI; however, these in vivo effects appear atypical and less intense with respect to those induced by the classic stimulants, in surprising analogy with what is reported by networked users.

Leaf extract of Anacardium occidentale ameliorates biomarkers of neuroinflammation, memory loss, and neurobehavioral deficit in N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) treated rats

Purpose Anacardium occidentale commonly known as Cashew is a plant that is widely used in African traditional medicine. It is endowed with phytochemical constituents that are responsible for its medicinal properties. Methods Twenty-five male Wistar rats were grouped as follows: Control (Group A), Group B (L-NAME 40 mg/kg), Group C (100 mg/kg Anacardium occidentale extract plus 40 mg/kg L-NAME), Group D (200 mg/kg extract plus 40 mg/kg L-NAME) and Group E (10 mg/kg of Lisinopril plus 40 mg/kg L-NAME). The animals were treated with oral administration of either the extracts or Lisnopril daily for 4 weeks. Neuro-behavioural tests such as the Morris Water Maze and Hanging Wire Grip tests were carried out to evaluate memory/spatial learning and muscular strength, respectively. Makers of oxidative stress, antioxidant enzymes and immunohistochemical staining of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein and Ionised Calcium Binding Adaptor molecule 1 were assessed. Results L-NAME administration caused significant increases in biomarkers of oxidative stress, decreased antioxidant status, acetylcholinesterase activity, altered neuro-behavioural changes, astrocytosis, and microgliosis. However, Anacardium occidentale reversed exaggerated oxidative stress biomarkers and improved neuro-behavioural changes. Conclusions Combining all, Anacardium occidentale enhanced brain antioxidant defence status, improved memory and muscular strength, thus, suggesting the neuroprotective properties of Anacardium occidentale.

Cardiovascular risk factors, clinical manifestations and management of myocardial infarction in elderly and long­living patients depending on geriatric status

Aim. To study cardiovascular risk factors, clinical manifestations and management of myocardial infarction (MI) in elderly and long­living patients depending on geriatric status.Material and methods. Out of 92 patients with MI (mean age, 81,6±4,2), 3 following groups were formed: "frailty" — 35 (38,0%), "prefrailty" — 16 (17,4%), and "no frailty" — 41 (44,6%). The following questionnaires were used: Age Is Not a Hindrance, Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Barthel Index for Activities of Daily Living, Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, balance test, Gait Speed Test, Timed Up and Go test, grip test, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clock Drawing Test, Geriatric Depression Scale.Results. Frailty probability in patients is higher in the presence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, a decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) &lt;60 ml/min/1,73 m2, a stroke, and heart failure. In the event of clinical manifestations of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), patients without frailty sought medical assistance earlier (in the first 2 hours — 26,8% of patients (χ2=7,8, p=0,005). Most patients with prefrailty and frailty called an ambulance later, but in the first 12 hours — 68,8 and 74,3%, respectively (χ2=15,6, p=0,012). The prevalence of thrombolysis is 23,2%, percutaneous coronary intervention — 30,4% and did not depend on geriatric status. The probability of multivessel disease is higher in patients with or at risk of malnutrition. The main hemodynamic parameters, echocardiography, laboratory parameters in patients with MI did not depend on geriatric status. According to the STOPP/START criteria, frail patients with more often received nonrecommended inhospital medicines.Conclusion. Frailty in patients with MI was associated with multiple cardiovascular risk factors, later medical assistance, and more frequent non-recommended treatment.

Normal tension glaucoma: A dynamic optical coherence tomography angiography study.

Vascular dysregulation seems to play a role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma, in particular normal tension glaucoma (NTG). The development of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) enabled the measurement of the retinal microvasculature non-invasively and with high repeatability. Nonetheless, only a few studies transformed OCTA into a dynamic examination employing a sympathomimetic stimulus. The goal of this study was to use this dynamic OCTA exam (1) to differentiate healthy individuals from glaucoma patients and (2) to distinguish glaucoma subcategories, NTG and high-tension primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). Retinal vessel density (VD) in NTG patients (n = 16), POAG patients (n = 12), and healthy controls (n = 14) was compared before and during a hand grip test with a hydraulic dynamometer. At baseline, mean peripapillary VD was lower in POAG and NTG (42.6 and 48.5%) compared to healthy controls (58.1%; p < 0.001) and higher in NTG compared to POAG (p = 0.024) when corrected for mean arterial pressure (MAP). Peripapillary and macular (superficial and deep) VD differences were found for gender, age, and baseline MAP. No change in VD occurred (pre-/post-stimulus) in any of the groups. Retinal VD loss in glaucoma patients was confirmed and the necessity to correct for gender, age and especially MAP was established. Although replication in a larger population is necessary, OCTA might not be the most suitable method to dynamically evaluate the retinal microvasculature.

Dexmedetomidine promotes the functional recovery of mice after acute ischemic stroke via activation of the a2-adrenoceptor.

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a well-known acute cerebrovascular disease characterized by high disability, morbidity, and recurrence rates with no effective treatments. Dexmedetomidine (DEX), a selective a2-adrenoceptor agonist used in anaesthesiology and pain management, has been found to exhibit neuroprotective effects in various diseases. However, its role in IS and the underlying mechanisms remains to be determined. Hence, the aim of the present study was to investigate the neuroprotective role of DEX in the recovery of mice following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Mice were used to establish the animal model, and then DEX was injected. Behavioural tests (neurological function assessments, grip test, and rotarod test), brain water content measurement, ELISA, and measurement of oxidative stress were performed. DEX activated a2-adrenoceptor and resulted in reduced brain injury, as indicated by the decreased brain water content, S100 Calcium Binding Protein B (S100B) content, and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) content, whilst also inhibiting oxidative stress, as indicated by the increased total antioxidant capacity, catalase, glutathione, and superoxide dismutase levels, and decreased malondialdehyde and glutathione oxidized levels. Neuroinflammation was also reduced as indicated by the decrease in IFN-g, IL-1a, IL-1b, IL-6, TNF-a, and MMP levels, improved the recovery of neurological function, as indicated by the decreased neurological function score and mNSS, and increased grip strength and rotarod performance in MCAO mice. These combined results suggest that DEX may be a novel strategy for the treatment of IS.

EFFECT OF WRIST WRAP IN HANDGRIP STRENGTH IN CROSSFIT.

Analyze wrist wrap influence on the values of maximum handgrip strength and dynamic resistance. A controlled randomized cross-over trial including 54 Crossfit participants randomly assigned to two groups. Group 1 began the series of tests with control wrapping, and Group 2 started with functional wrapping. Alternate series of four dynamic grip strength resistance tests were performed, and the resistance and fatigue values were calculated. The values obtained from the grip tests did not indicate any effect from the wrist wrap for an increase in maximum grip strength (35.7 vs. 35.6 kg; p=0.737) or greater endurance (78.2 vs. 77.8%; p=0.549). Fatigue was also equal in both groups (mean differences between the groups: 0.1 kg, CI= -0.7-0.8; p=0.779). The hypothesis that using a wrist wrap increases maximum strength and dynamic handgrip endurance was rejected in this study. Evidence Level I; Randomized control trial .

Fortalecimento intrínseco do pé e eletroestimulação em idosos - Ensaio clínico randomizado

Abstract Introduction Aging reduces functional capacity related to reduced toe plantar flexion strength. The exercise for strengthening the foot’s intrinsic muscles can be optimized using electrostimulation. Due to the scarcity of data in the literature on these methods, further studies are necessary. Objective To evaluate and compare the effects of training to strengthen the foot’s intrinsic muscles on the risk of falls in older adults. Methods This is a randomized clinical trial with 19 older patients allocated into three groups: control (CG; n = 7), exercise (EG; n = 6), and exercise+electrostimulation (EEG; n = 6). The EG received an exercise protocol for the foot’s intrinsic muscles, the EEG received the same protocol with Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), and the CG received guidance regarding preventing falls. The individuals were evaluated before and after the intervention using the Single-Limb balance test (SLBT), Functional Reach Test (FRT), Timed Up and Go (TUG), and Paper Grip Test (PGT) tests. One and two-way ANOVA was used for the statistical analysis. Statistical significance was set at p &lt; 0.05. Results There was a significant improvement in the TUG test (9.64 ± 1.78 vs. 8.20 ± 1.94) in relation to the EG. With the EEG, there was an improvement both in the TUG (12.68 ± 4.01 vs. 10.61 ± 3.70) and in the FRT (26.37 ± 7.66 vs. 33.14±9.73) with p &lt; 0.05). Conclusion An exercise protocol associated with electrostimulation improves performance in func-tional and dynamic balance tests in older adults.

Association of Cardiac Autonomic Function Derangement with Obesity and Glycated Haemoglobin: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Hyperglycaemia (as assessed by Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)) and obesity lead to the production of advanced glycation end products in blood, which are responsible for damage to the microvasculature, slowly leading to cardiac autonomic dysfunction. Thus, chronic prediabetic hyperglycaemia, as measured by HbA1c may affect cardiac autonomic function in different ranges of obesity (overweight and obese). Aim: To study the association of cardiac autonomic dysfunction with Body Mass Index (BMI) and HbA1c. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at BPS Government Medical College, Sonepat, Haryana, India, from June to December 2019. This study included age and sex-matched 50 healthy, 50 overweight, and 50 obese subjects aged 18-50 years. Serum HbA1c, lipid profile and cardiac autonomic function tests for the parasympathetic system (Resting heart rate, Expiration-inspiration difference on deep breathing, Heart rate response to standing/30:15 stand ratio, Valsalva ratio) and sympathetic system {postural hypotension/fall in Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) and change in Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) on sustained hand grip test} were performed. Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney test were used for statistical analysis. Results: The prevalence of sympathetic autonomic dysfunction was highest in the obese group (36% in males n=25, and 32% in females, n=25) followed by overweight group (12% in males, n=25 and 12% in females, n=25). The prevalence of parasympathetic autonomic dysfunction was highest in the obese group (40% in males, n=25 and 32% in females, n=25), followed by the overweight group (24% in males, n=25 and 16% in females, n=25). Further, HbA1c was highest in obese males (6.27±1.54) and females (5.94±0.45), followed by overweight males (5.89±0.92) and females (5.46±1.84). Males and females with autonomic dysfunction had significantly higher HbA1c (Males 6.4±0.42 and Females 6.2±0.38) than those without it (Males 5.4±0.86 and Females 5.2±0.75) in the obese and overweight groups taken together. Conclusion: The prevalence of parasympathetic and sympathetic dysfunction is incrementally increased with higher obesity (BMI) and HbA1c. Overweight and obese subjects with cardiac autonomic dysfunction had higher HbA1c and worse lipid profiles than overweight and obese subjects without autonomic dysfunction.

Evaluation of functional parameters of the foot and ankle in elderly with sarcopenia.

With population aging, the prevalence of sarcopenia has increased. It is a pathology often neglected, with the potential to cause great damage if not diagnosed and treated. The objective of this study was to identify sarcopenic elderly people through the SARC-F score and palm grip test and to evaluate foot and ankle functionality parameters: gait speed, plantar sensitivity, and baropodometry. This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 20 sarcopenic elderly diagnosed through the SARC-F score and the handgrip strength test, from which demographic data were obtained, and the three functional tests related to the foot and ankle were performed. No individual was aware of the term sarcopenia. Regarding gait speed, 20 (100%) presented values compatible with sarcopenia (average of 0.52 m/s). Regarding plantar sensitivity, five (25%) of the patients showed changes in the exam with the detection of insensitivity. Regarding baropodometry, higher pressure values were observed in the right foot (average of 52.9±7.01%) compared to the left (average of 47.10±7.01%) and in the hindfoot (average of 55.85±16.21%) compared to the forefoot (mean 44.15±15.35%). When correlating the analyzed variables with the SARC-F scores, the only association that showed statistical significance (p<0.05) was the dynamometry on the right. The SARC-F score and the handgrip strength test are easy to apply in the screening of sarcopenia, and the functional parameters of the foot and ankle were shown to be altered in the studied group.