Leandro Viçosa Bonetti

Effect of Treadmill Exercise on Serotonin Immunoreactivity in Medullary Raphe Nuclei and Spinal Cord Following Sciatic Nerve Transection in Rats

The serotoninergic system modulates nociceptive and locomotor spinal cord circuits. Exercise improves motor function and changes dopaminergic, noradrenergic, and serotonergic central systems. However, the direct relationship between serotonin, peripheral nerve lesion and aerobic treadmill exercise has not been studied. Using immunohistochemistry and optic densitometry, this study showed that the sciatic nerve transection increased the serotoninergic immunoreactivity in neuronal cytoplasm of the magnus raphe nuclei of trained and sedentary rats. In the dorsal raphe nucleus the increase only occurred in sedentary-sham-operated rats. In the spinal cord of trained, transected rats, the ventral horn showed significant changes, while the change in dorsal horn was insignificant. Von Frey’s test indicated analgesia in all exercise-trained rats. The sciatic nerve functional index indicated recovery in the trained group. Thus, both the aerobic treadmill exercise training and the nervous lesion appear to contribute to changes in serotonin immunoreactivity.

Balance and coordination training after sciatic nerve injury.

Introduction: Numerous therapeutic interventions have been tested to enhance functional recovery after peripheral nerve injuries. Methods: After sciatic nerve crush in rats we tested balance and coordination and motor control training in sensorimotor tests and analyzed nerve and muscle histology. Results: The balance and coordination training group and the sham group had better results than the sedentary and motor control groups in sensorimotor tests. The sham and balance and coordination groups had a significantly larger muscle area than the other groups, and the balance and coordination group showed significantly better values than the sedentary and motor control groups for average myelin sheath thickness and g‐ratio of the distal portion of the nerve. Conclusions: The findings indicate that balance and coordination training improves sciatic nerve regeneration, suggesting that it is possible to revert and/or prevent soleus muscle atrophy and improve performance on sensorimotor tests. Muscle Nerve 44: 55–62, 2011.

Balance and coordination training and endurance training after nerve injury

Introduction: Different rehabilitation treatments have proven useful in accelerating regeneration. Methods: After sciatic nerve crush in rats, we tested balance and coordination training (BCT) and endurance training (ET) through sensorimotor tests and analyzed nerve and muscle morphology. Results: After BCT and ET, rats performed better in sensorimotor tests than did non‐trained animals. However, only BCT maintained sensorimotor function during training. Furthermore, BCT and ET produced significantly larger muscle area than in non‐trained animals. Conclusions: These findings indicate that BCT and ET, when initiated in the early phase after sciatic nerve injury, improve morphological properties of the soleus muscle and sciatic nerve, but only the task‐oriented BCT maintained sensorimotor function. The success of rehabilitative strategies appears to be highly task‐specific, and strategies that stimulate sensory pathways are the most effective in improving balance and/or coordination parameters. Muscle Nerve 51: 83–91, 2015

Analysis of the gait of children with cerebral palsy with and without using ankle and foot orthoses

OBJETIVOS: Analisar os parâmetros lineares da marcha de criancas com paralisia cerebral hemiparetica espastica, usuarias de orteses de tornozelo e pe articuladas. METODOS: Foi realizada a analise tridimensional da marcha de oito criancas com paralisia cerebral hemiparetica espastica, com idade entre 5 e 10 anos, classificadas nos niveis I e II do Sistema de Classificacao da Funcao Motora Grossa, com e sem o uso de ortese de tornozelo e pe. Um sistema de cinemetria com sete câmeras integradas capturou a trajetoria tridimensional dos marcadores no corpo dos participantes durante a marcha, sendo os dados coletados em uma taxa de amostragem de 100 Hz. Para as comparacoes foram utilizados o teste t pareado e o teste t para uma amostra. RESULTADOS: Em relacao as variaveis espaco-temporais da marcha das criancas com paralisia cerebral comparadas com os valores da normalidade, apenas a velocidade (tanto com a ortese quanto sem a ortese) apresentou diferenca estatisticamente significativa. O valor medio normal da velocidade da marcha e de 1,25 m/s, enquanto nos participantes sem uso de ortese a velocidade media foi de 0,98±0,10 m/s (p=0,0001) e com o uso de ortese a velocidade media foi de 0,96±0,21 m/s (p=0,0001). Na comparacao entre as criancas usando ou nao a ortese de tornozelo e pe articulada, a velocidade, a cadencia e o comprimento do passo foram respectivamente de 0,98±0,10 m/s, 131±16,15 passos/min e 0,44±0,08 m nas criancas sem a ortese; e de 0,96±0,21 m/s, 128,37±22,9 passos/min e 0,48±0,05 m nas criancas com a ortese. As diferencas nao foram estatisticamente significativas. CONCLUSOES: A comparacao entre o mesmo grupo com e sem o uso das orteses de tornozelo e pe articuladas sugere que o uso das mesmas nas criancas com paralisia cerebral possa promover um aumento do comprimento do passo e uma diminuicao da velocidade e da cadencia em relacao a condicao sem ortese, favorecendo uma melhor distribuicao de peso no membro paretico e proporcionando uma melhor simetria na marcha. Entretanto as diferencas nao foram estatisticamente significativas. Assim, espera-se que os resultados obtidos neste estudo possam servir de piloto para futuras pesquisas, com amostras maiores.

Isokinetic performance of knee extensors and flexors in adolescent male soccer athletes

BackgroundSoccer is one of the most popular sports in the world and thigh muscle strain and knee injuries are two of the most common injuries. Asymmetrical muscle strength between the dominant limb (DL) and the non-dominant limb (NDL), asymmetries between the extensor and flexor muscles of the knee and between the different roles can explain the high injury incidence.AimsThis study aimed to analyze the knee extensor and flexor muscular contralateral strength, the flexors’/extensors’ function, and the muscular strength differences according to different playing positions of adolescent male soccer athletes.MethodsThe information provided by the database concerning the isokinetic evaluation of knee muscles from 32 male soccer athletes under 17 years of age was analyzed. The isokinetic dynamometer was used in a concentric-concentric mode for the knee extensor and flexor muscles at angular velocities of 60°/s, 120°/s, 180°/s and 240°/s.ResultsTwo significant differences were observed between the DL and the NDL; just at an angular velocity of 60º/s, the flexor muscles and the flexor/extensor ratio mean values were significantly smaller for the NDL. When averaged separately, the DL and NDL values of the defenders, midfielders, and forwarders demonstrated no differences in the peak torque and flexor/extensor analysis.ConclusionsMuscular demands of adolescent soccer players do not cause large asymmetries and imbalances in the extensors and flexor muscles of the knee. In addition, different soccer playing positions do not significantly affect peak torque and flexor/extensor ratio results.

Desempenho muscular isocinético dos ombros em atletas de rúgbi

*** Isokinetic muscle performance of shoulders in rugby athletes *** AIMS: To verify the existence of shoulder external and internal rotator muscle asymmetries in male amateur rugby athletes. METHODS: Isokinetic evaluations of male amateur rugby athletes were accessed from the database of the Institute for Sports Medicine and Applied Sciences in Human Movement of Universidade de Caxias do Sul (IME-UCS). Shoulders evaluated were included in the study, whereas those cases without a free and informed consent form signed prior to the test were excluded. The isokinetic dynamometer was used in a concentric-concentric mode for the shoulder external and internal rotators at angular velocities of 60°/s and 180°/s. The peak torque and the external to internal rotator ratio were analyzed. Student’s t test and a significance level of <0.05 were used to verify the existence of asymmetries between the two sides of the same individual. RESULTS: Data from 12 male athletes were analyzed. Regarding the peak torque at the angular velocity of 60o/s, the mean muscle strength values of the dominant limb were significantly higher when compared to non-dominant limb: external rotators, 43.35±4.72 Nm for the dominant limb vs 38.92±4.22 Nm for the non-dominant limb (p=0.0012); internal rotators, 65.58±11.88 Nm for the dominant limb vs 61.69±11.98 Nm for the non-dominant limb (p=0.0021). At 180o/s, the mean values of the non-dominant limb tended to be lower when compared to the dominant limb, without statistical significance. Regarding the mean values of the external to internal rotator ratio, no significant differences were found at any of the angular velocities analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: Amateur rugby athletes showed lower muscle strength of the non-dominant limb when compared to the dominant limb in the peak torque measurements. This difference was not found in other studies with rugby athletes, and we believe that this result is justified by the lack of more frequent and adequate training of these amateur athletes.

Balance and coordination training, but not endurance training, enhances synaptophysin and neurotrophin‐3 immunoreactivity in the lumbar spinal cord after sciatic nerve crush

Introduction: Numerous rehabilitation treatments have been shown to be useful for peripheral and central restoration after (PNI). Methods: After sciatic nerve crush, we investigated 4 weeks of endurance training (ET) and balance and coordination training (BCT) with sciatic function index, hind‐paw stride length, and spinal cord dorsal horn synaptophysin and neurotrophin‐3 immunoreactivity. Results: Our results demonstrated no significant differences between the non‐trained (NT), ET, and BCT groups in sciatic functional index, and in stride‐length analysis, but the ET showed higher values compared with the NT group. Synaptophysin immunoreactivity was higher in the BCT group compared with the NT group, and neurotrophin‐3 immunoreactivity in the BCT group was greater compared with the other groups. Conclusion: BCT can positively affect spinal cord plasticity after a (PNI), and these modifications are important in the rehabilitation process. Muscle Nerve 53: 617–625, 2016

Isokinetic Performance of Shoulder External and Internal Rotators in Adolescent Male Volleyball Athletes

Title: Isokinetic performance of shoulder external and internal rotators in young male volleyball athletes. Background: Volleyball is a sport characterized by short, intensive and explosive actions. In the performance of these repetitive movements, the shoulder joint receives the largest load. Therefore, a detailed assessment of biomechanics and muscle performance is fundamental in the evaluation, treatment and in prevention of shoulder injuries in volleyball athletes. Methods and Findings: Information from a database concerning the isokinetic evaluation of the shoulder’s external and internal rotator muscles at the 60°/s and 180°/s angular velocities from 20 male volleyball athletes under 17 years of age was assessed. At a velocity of 60°/s the average values for internal rotators on the non-dominant limb were significantly smaller than those of the dominant limb, and at a velocity of 180°/s both the internal and external rotators average values for the non-dominant limb were significantly smaller than those for the dominant limb. For the external-internal rotator ratio analyses, there was no significant difference between the limbs. Conclusions: In conclusion, the unilateral demands during typical movements in volleyball resulted in higher peak torque values for the dominant limb in comparison to that of the non-dominant limb. For the external-internal rotators, no relevant differences were found between limbs, and the average values were within the parameters of normality.