Yes / Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent adult stem cells with great potential in regenerative medicine. One method for stimulating proliferation and differentiation of MSCs is via electrical stimulation (ES). A valuable approach for evaluating the response of MSCs to ES is to assess changes in gene expression, relative to one or more reference genes. In a survey of 25 publications that used ES on cells, 70% selected GAPDH as the reference gene. We conducted a study to assess the suitability of six potential reference genes on an immortalized human MSC line following direct current ES at seeding densities of 5000 and 10,000 cells/cm2 . We employed three methods to validate the most stable reference genes from qRT-PCR data. Our findings show that GAPDH and ACTB exhibit reduced stability when seeded at 5000 cell/cm2 . In contrast, we found that the most stable genes across both plating densities and stimulation regimes were PPIA and YWHAZ. Thus, in ES gene expression studies in MSCs, we support the use of PPIA and YWHAZ as an optimal reference gene pair, and discourage the use of ACTB and GAPDH at lower seeding densities. However, it is strongly recommended that similar verification studies are carried out based on cell type and different ES conditions.

Microcantilever sensors and microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are currently used in microphysiological body-on-a-chip systems for the assessment of mechanical and electrical function of human cardiac muscle tissues. However, existing microcantilever devices used in these systems do not acquire direct electrical signals and often utilize imaging or optical detection methods to measure the contractile force of human cardiac tissues and the use of MEAs most often focuses only on unstressed cardiac tissues. New biomedical microelectromechanical systems (bioMEMS) chip-based systems have been developed for more advanced cardiac therapeutic evaluation. This work describes the design, fabrication, and characterization of a piezoelectric microcantilever device, for both sensing and actuation, and a piezoresistive microcantilever strain sensor along with their custom amplification electronics for the ability of high-throughput, real-time, continuous force measurements for in vitro cardiac systems. These devices were developed in a format that would enable integration into a multi-organ body-on-a-chip system. In addition, a new method of using MEA technology for the electrical stimulation of cardiac cells was developed to create a stress test-on-a-chip for functional measurements of cardiac muscle, specifically during exercise-related stress for the detection of arrhythmogenicity at both resting and elevated heart rates. The incorporation of a microcantilever strain sensor and an MEA into a single microphysiological system, with the ability to create a stressed cardiac environment, will offer increased functional testing with the evaluation of contractile force in cardiac muscle and electrical activity in cardiac tissue. This has the potential to allow for a more complete and clinically relevant model including basic physiological investigation, pharmaceutical compound development, cardiotoxicity and efficacy studies, and predictive toxicology.

Approximately 50% of individuals who undergo total knee arthroplasty (TKA) fail to achieve a full functional recovery. Current physical therapy practices commonly utilize neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to passively activate quadriceps muscles. This passive approach does not directly reteach the lost response, but can strengthen the atrophied muscle. Study 1 compared surface electromyography with biofeedback (sEMGBF) with a changing criterion design to NMES alone. Study 2 compared static sEMGBF to NMES with feedback. Study 3 compared surface electromyography (sEMG) with instructions only to NMES. All other methods were constant across the three studies, where I compared the passive and active approach within-subject, across knees, and across groups while controlling for condition order and leg dominance. Each participant receives both NMES and the shaping procedure. Each condition lasts five minutes and consists of 30 muscle contractions. Each contraction lasts 5 seconds and was followed by a 5 second rest. I compared pre and post adapted maximal voluntary isometric contraction (A-MVIC) tests to determine the effectiveness of each condition. Results of the three studies demonstrated that actively teaching voluntary vastus medialis oblique (VMO) engagement using sEMG is more effective than NMES at increasing maximum voluntary isometric contractions of the VMO.

Author: Bc. Marie Hejnová Title: Effect of Functional Electrical Stimulation-Assisted Ergometry on Muscle Cross-Sectional Diameter, Nitrogen and Fluid Balance in Critically Ill Objectives: The aim of this thesis was to investigate the effect of functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling ergometry (FES-CE) on cross-sectional diameter of the quadriceps femoris (QF) muscle of both lower extremities in critically ill patients. Another objective was to evaluate if the measured values are responding to the changes in muscle tissue or are caused by an oedema. Methods: The intervention group received daily intensified physical therapy and FES-CE. We measured cross-sectional diameter of the QF muscle repeatedly by a diagnostic ultrasound. We recorded daily nitrogen balance to objectivize catabolism of muscle and fluid balance to objectivize amount of cumulative fluid. Results: The total of 115 patients were evaluated. Average decrease of cross-sectional diameter of QF muscle in the intervention group was 0.020 ± 0.070 cm/day, in the control group it was 0.017 ± 0.084 cm/day (p = 0.87). We registered an opposite result from the eighth day onwards, the intervention group had average decrease 0.025 ± 0.047 cm/day and the control group 0.040 ± 0.076 cm/day (p = 0.38). The nitrogen intake was...

INTRODUÇÃO: A Bexiga Hiperativa é uma síndrome de alta prevalência que acomete negativamente a qualidade de vida das mulheres. Os sintomas clínicos se manifestam por urgência miccional, com ou sem incontinência de urgência, frequência e nocturia. O diagnóstico é definido a partir dos sintomas clínicos, sendo o diário miccional um bom instrumento de avaliação. O tratamento fisioterapêutico da bexiga hiperativa tem como opções a eletroestimulação transcutânea do nervo tibial ou eletroestimulação vaginal. OBJETIVO: verificar se a adição da eletroestimulação vaginal à eletroestimulação transcutânea do nervo tibial é mais eficaz do que somente a eletroestimulação no nervo tibial para o tratamento de mulheres com bexiga hiperativa. MÉTODO: Estudo controlado aleatorizado com 106 mulheres, maiores de 18 anos, com diagnóstico de bexiga hiperativa ou incontinência urinária mista com predomínio dos sintomas de bexiga hiperativa. As pacientes foram distribuídas em dois grupos: Grupo 1: eletroestimulação transcutânea do nervo tibial (n=52) e Grupo 2: eletroestimulação vaginal mais eletroestimulação transcutânea do nervo tibial (n=54). Ambos os grupos foram orientados quanto à terapia comportamental. Os instrumentos de avaliação utilizados foram: Diário Miccional de três dias, avaliação funcional do assoalho pélvico, King´s Health Questionnaire e Overactive Bladder Questionnaire, todos aplicados por um avaliador cego, antes e após o tratamento que teve duração de 12 semanas, 1x/semana. O desfecho primário foi a frequência urinária em 24 horas. Os desfechos secundários foram os outros sintomas da bexiga hiperativa, o impacto na qualidade de vida e a funcionalidade do assoalho pélvico. RESULTADO: a frequência urinária no grupo 2 diminuiu em 1,5 vezes em relação ao grupo 1. Contudo este resultado não foi clinicamente relevante pois foi inferior a 3 micções. As outras variáveis do diário miccional bem como como o impacto na qualidade de vida, não apresentaram diferenças entre os grupos. CONCLUSÃO: a adição da eletroestimulação vaginal à eletroestimulação transcutânea do nervo tibial não apresentou resultados mais efetivos na melhora dos sintomas ou na qualidade de vida das pacientes com BH / INTRODUCTION: Overactive Bladder is a syndrome with a high prevalence that negatively affects women\'s quality of life. The clinical symptoms are manifested as urinary urgency, with or without urgency incontinence, frequency and nocturia. The diagnosis is defined based on the clinical symptoms, and the voiding diary is a good assessment. The physiotherapeutic treatment of OAB has as treatment\'s options the transcutaneous tibial nerve electrical stimulation or vaginal electrical stimulation. OBJECTIVE: to verify if the addition of vaginal electrical stimulation to transcutaneous tibial nerve electrical stimulation is more effective than only the electrical stimulation in the tibial nerve for the treatment of women with OAB. METHOD: Randomized controlled trial with 106 women over 18 years old with a diagnosis of overactive bladder or mixed urinary incontinence with predominance of overactive bladder symptoms. The patients were distributed into two groups: Group 1: transcutaneous tibial nerve electrical stimulation (n = 52) and Group 2: vaginal electrical stimulation plus transcutaneous tibial nerve electrical stimulation (n = 54). Both groups received instructions about behavioral therapy. The assessments used were: Three-day voiding diary, functional evaluation of pelvic floor, King\'s Health Questionnaire and Overactive Bladder Questionnaire, all of them applied by a blind evaluator, before and after 12-week treatment, once a week. The primary outcome was urinary frequency in 24 hours. Secondaries outcomes were other overactive bladder symptoms, impact in quality of life, and pelvic floor functionality. RESULTS: urinary frequency in group 2 decreased 1.5 times in relation to group 1. However, this result was not clinically relevant since it was less than 3 mictions. The other variables of voiding diary and impact on quality of life did not present differences between groups. CONCLUSION: The addition of vaginal electrical stimulation to transcutaneous tibial nerve electrical stimulation did not present more effective results in the improvement of symptoms or quality of life in patients with overactive bladder

INTRODUÇÃO: A Bexiga Hiperativa é uma síndrome de alta prevalência que acomete negativamente a qualidade de vida das mulheres. Os sintomas clínicos se manifestam por urgência miccional, com ou sem incontinência de urgência, frequência e nocturia. O diagnóstico é definido a partir dos sintomas clínicos, sendo o diário miccional um bom instrumento de avaliação. O tratamento fisioterapêutico da bexiga hiperativa tem como opções a eletroestimulação transcutânea do nervo tibial ou eletroestimulação vaginal. OBJETIVO: verificar se a adição da eletroestimulação vaginal à eletroestimulação transcutânea do nervo tibial é mais eficaz do que somente a eletroestimulação no nervo tibial para o tratamento de mulheres com bexiga hiperativa. MÉTODO: Estudo controlado aleatorizado com 106 mulheres, maiores de 18 anos, com diagnóstico de bexiga hiperativa ou incontinência urinária mista com predomínio dos sintomas de bexiga hiperativa. As pacientes foram distribuídas em dois grupos: Grupo 1: eletroestimulação transcutânea do nervo tibial (n=52) e Grupo 2: eletroestimulação vaginal mais eletroestimulação transcutânea do nervo tibial (n=54). Ambos os grupos foram orientados quanto à terapia comportamental. Os instrumentos de avaliação utilizados foram: Diário Miccional de três dias, avaliação funcional do assoalho pélvico, King´s Health Questionnaire e Overactive Bladder Questionnaire, todos aplicados por um avaliador cego, antes e após o tratamento que teve duração de 12 semanas, 1x/semana. O desfecho primário foi a frequência urinária em 24 horas. Os desfechos secundários foram os outros sintomas da bexiga hiperativa, o impacto na qualidade de vida e a funcionalidade do assoalho pélvico. RESULTADO: a frequência urinária no grupo 2 diminuiu em 1,5 vezes em relação ao grupo 1. Contudo este resultado não foi clinicamente relevante pois foi inferior a 3 micções. As outras variáveis do diário miccional bem como como o impacto na qualidade de vida, não apresentaram diferenças entre os grupos. CONCLUSÃO: a adição da eletroestimulação vaginal à eletroestimulação transcutânea do nervo tibial não apresentou resultados mais efetivos na melhora dos sintomas ou na qualidade de vida das pacientes com BH / INTRODUCTION: Overactive Bladder is a syndrome with a high prevalence that negatively affects women\'s quality of life. The clinical symptoms are manifested as urinary urgency, with or without urgency incontinence, frequency and nocturia. The diagnosis is defined based on the clinical symptoms, and the voiding diary is a good assessment. The physiotherapeutic treatment of OAB has as treatment\'s options the transcutaneous tibial nerve electrical stimulation or vaginal electrical stimulation. OBJECTIVE: to verify if the addition of vaginal electrical stimulation to transcutaneous tibial nerve electrical stimulation is more effective than only the electrical stimulation in the tibial nerve for the treatment of women with OAB. METHOD: Randomized controlled trial with 106 women over 18 years old with a diagnosis of overactive bladder or mixed urinary incontinence with predominance of overactive bladder symptoms. The patients were distributed into two groups: Group 1: transcutaneous tibial nerve electrical stimulation (n = 52) and Group 2: vaginal electrical stimulation plus transcutaneous tibial nerve electrical stimulation (n = 54). Both groups received instructions about behavioral therapy. The assessments used were: Three-day voiding diary, functional evaluation of pelvic floor, King\'s Health Questionnaire and Overactive Bladder Questionnaire, all of them applied by a blind evaluator, before and after 12-week treatment, once a week. The primary outcome was urinary frequency in 24 hours. Secondaries outcomes were other overactive bladder symptoms, impact in quality of life, and pelvic floor functionality. RESULTS: urinary frequency in group 2 decreased 1.5 times in relation to group 1. However, this result was not clinically relevant since it was less than 3 mictions. The other variables of voiding diary and impact on quality of life did not present differences between groups. CONCLUSION: The addition of vaginal electrical stimulation to transcutaneous tibial nerve electrical stimulation did not present more effective results in the improvement of symptoms or quality of life in patients with overactive bladder

No description available.

La prise en charge thérapeutique de la fatigue musculaire par le biais d’exercices physiques vise à améliorer la qualité de vie et implique habituellement des exercices unilatéraux ou l’électrostimulation neuromusculaire pour compenser une fonction musculaire altérée aussi bien chez les personnes saines ou dites vulnérables (e.g. atteintes d’une pathologie ou d’un traumatisme). La fatigue musculaire est une réduction de la capacité de production maximale de force, induite par l’exercice, que la tâche puisse être maintenue ou non (Bigland-Ritchie et al. 1983; Gandevia 2001; Enoka and Duchateau 2008). L’objectif général de cette thèse était d’étudier les stratégies d’activation neuromusculaire lors de la fatigue musculaire, de l’endurance musculaire et sur la performance musculaire au cours et/ou après des contractions volontaires et évoquées électriquement chez des personnes saines ou vulnérables tels que des enfants atteints d’infirmité motrice cérébrale (IMC) et des patients atteints de dystrophie musculaire facio-scapulo-humérale (DMFSH). / The clinical care of muscle fatigue with exercise therapies aim at quality of life improvement and usually involve unilateral exercises or neuromuscular electrical stimulation to compensate impaired muscle function in both healthy and health-compromised people. Muscle fatigue is a decline in maximal force production, induced with exercising, whether or not the task can be maintained (Bigland-Ritchie et al. 1983a; Gandevia 2001a; Enoka and Duchateau 2008). The overall objective of this thesis was to study the effect of neuromuscular activation strategies during muscle fatigue, endurance and muscle performance after voluntary and electrically evoked contractions in healthy and health-compromised populations such as children with cerebral palsy (CP) and patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).

A estimulação elétrica neuromuscular (EENM) é uma recente técnica terapêutica no tratamento das disfagias orofaríngeas. Poucos estudos utilizaram a EENM em casos oncológicos, havendo muitas dúvidas sobre o método de aplicação e os resultados de diferentes condições de estimulação nessa população. Este trabalho teve por objetivo verificar o efeito imediato da EENM sensorial e motora, nas fases oral e faríngea da deglutição, em pacientes após tratamento do câncer de cabeça e pescoço. Para isso foi realizado um estudo transversal intervencional que incluiu 11 pacientes adultos e idosos (mediana de 59 anos) acometidos por câncer de cabeça e pescoço. Todos os indivíduos foram submetidos ao exame de videofluoroscopia da deglutição, no qual, de modo randomizado, foram solicitadas deglutições de 5 ml de alimentos nas consistências líquida, mel e pudim em três condições distintas: sem estimulação, com EENM sensorial, com EENM motora. Foi classificado o grau da disfunção da deglutição por meio da escala DOSS (Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale), a presença de estase de alimentos (escala de Eisenhuber), de penetração laríngea, aspiração laringotraqueal (Penetration and Aspiration Scale - PAS), além da medida do tempo de trânsito oral e faríngeo (em segundos). Para a comparação dos resultados, considerando os três estímulos aplicados, na escala de resíduos, na escala de penetração aspiração, na escala DOSS e no tempo de trânsito oral e faríngeo foi aplicado o teste de Friedman ou a análise de variância para medidas repetidas (de acordo com a distribuição dos dados). Para todos os testes foi adotado nível de significância de 5%. Os resultados demonstraram que houve melhora com a estimulação sensorial e motora na escala DOSS e na escala PAS para um paciente tratado de câncer de boca e outro de laringe e piora, em ambas as escalas, para dois pacientes (câncer de boca), sendo um para a estimulação motora e outro na sensorial. A aplicação da escala de Eisenhuber permitiu verificar que a EENM, tanto em nível sensorial como motor, modificou de forma variável a presença de resíduos para os casos de câncer de boca, enquanto para o paciente com câncer de laringe houve redução de resíduos em valécula/raiz da língua para a estimulação sensorial e motora, além de aumento de resíduos em parede posterior da faringe com o estímulo motor. Além disso, não foi encontrada diferença estatisticamente significante para o tempo de trânsito oral e faríngeo nas diferentes estimulações para todas as consistências testadas (p>0,05). Diante desses achados, concluiu-se que a EENM, em nível sensorial e motor, apresentou variável impacto imediato nas fases oral e faríngea da deglutição, podendo melhorar a função de deglutição de pacientes com significante disfagia após o tratamento para o câncer de cabeça e pescoço, no que se diz respeito ao grau da disfagia e à presença de penetração e aspiração. / Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a recent therapeutic technique for the treatment of oropharyngeal dysphagia. Few studies have used NMES in cancer cases; there are many questions about the application method and the results of different stimulation conditions in this population. This study aimed to verify the immediate effect of sensory and motor NMES in the swallowing oral and pharyngeal phases in head and neck cancer patients after head and neck cancer treatment. Thus, an interventional transversal study was carried out including 11 adult and elderly patients (average of 59 years) with head and neck cancer. All subjects underwent a videofluoroscopic swallowing test, in which they were randomly requested to swallow 5 ml of food in the consistencies of liquid, honey and pudding in three distinct conditions: without stimulation, with sensorial NMES and with motor NMES. The degree of swallowing dysfunction was classified through the DOSS scale (dysphagia outcome and severity scale), the presence of stasis of food (Eisenhuber scale), laryngeal penetration, laryngotracheal aspiration (Penetration and Aspiration Scale - PAS scale), besides the measure of the oral pharyngeal transit time (in seconds).The comparison of results, considering the three stimuli applied, at residues scale, penetration aspiration scale, DOSS scale and the oral pharyngeal transit time it was applied the Friedman test or analysis of variance for repeated measures (according to the data distribution),for all tests was level adopted significance level of 5%. The results showed an improvement with the sensory and motor stimulation in the DOSS scale and PAS scale for the one patient treaty of mouth and other laryngeal cancer, and a deterioration in both scales, for two patients (mouth cancer), one for motor stimulation and the other for sensory stimulation. The application of Eisenhuber scale has shown that NMES has changed variably the presence of residues in mouth cancer cases in both sensory and motor levels, while patients with laryngeal cancer it happened a waste reduction in valecule/tongue root to the sensory and motor stimulation, besides the increase in the of residues in posterior pharyngeal wall with motor stimulation. In addition, there was no statistically significant difference for the oral and pharyngeal transit time in the different stimulations for all consistencies tested (p>0.05). Given these findings, it was possible to conclude that NMES, in sensory and motor level, showed variable immediate impact on the oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing and may improve the swallowing function in patients with significant dysphagia after the treatment for head and neck cancer, regarding the degree of dysphagia and the presence of penetration and aspiration.

A estimulação elétrica neuromuscular é um recurso reabilitacional funcional que tem como propósito a recuperação dos movimentos dos membros superiores ou inferiores. Com este recurso, é possível a pessoas que possuem uma lesão medular e que vêem suas vidas modificadas pelo advento da lesão, executarem ações que possam facilitar a sua independência nas habilidades diárias, uma vez que mudanças em seu esquema corporal e limitações reais às suas atividades cotidianas são observadas nestes casos. Acredita-se que seja comum a presença de reações psicológicas a este tratamento, porém, poucos estudos foram registrados até o momento. Considerando-se que uma intervenção que aborde aspectos físicos, psicológicos e sociais destas pessoas é indispensável a qualquer processo reabilitacional, esta pesquisa teve como objetivos identificar e analisar características psicossociais de usuários do programa de estimulação elétrica neuromuscular realizado no Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Departamento de Ortopedia e Traumatologia da Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Laboratório de Biomecânica e Reabilitação do Aparelho Locomotor. Suas concepções, reações e expectativas frente a este tipo de reabilitação também foram investigados, além da identificação das principais necessidades destas pessoas, oferecendo subsídios para a condução de um tratamento psicoterápico adequado ao quadro caracterológico das pessoas com lesão medular submetidas à estimulação elétrica neuromuscular, de forma a favorecer a realização de um processo reabilitacional que os contemplem em sua dinâmica biopsicossocial. Para isso, os participantes desta pesquisa foram divididos em dois grupos distintos. Os que se encontravam no primeiro ano de tratamento e os que o realizavam há mais de um ano. Foi utilizado um roteiro de entrevista semi estruturada que teve como propósito conhecer aspectos, tais como, a visão da pessoa com lesão medular sobre sua própria deficiência, formas de enfrentamento, vida social e familiar, bem como, suas concepções e expectativas no que diz respeito à reabilitação por meio da estimulação elétrica neuromuscular. Os entrevistados consideraram como uma de suas metas, a recuperação total ou parcial das funções que lhes foram subtraídas com a lesão medular, considerando efeitos positivos com a utilização deste tratamento, no alcance de melhorias físicas e psicossociais. Não obstante, eles procuram investir em vários outros aspectos de suas vidas, que não somente o reabilitacional, como por exemplo, os profissionais, familiares, sociais e afetivos / Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is a functional resource for rehabilitation, which aims recover the motions of inferior and superior limbs. With this resource, it is possible for spinal cord injury patients, who had their lives changed due to this injury, to execute actions that can make their independency to every day abilities easier, once changes in their body structure and real limitations to daily activities were noticed in this case. It is believed that the remark of psychological reactions are usual for this treatment, however, a few studies were registrated until the moment. In regarding to an intervention that deals with this patients’ physical and social aspects is essential to any rehabilitation process, this research aims to identify and analyze users’ psycho-social characteristics of neuromuscular electrical stimulation program made at Campinas State University hospital, Orthopedic and Traumatology Department of Medical Science School, Laboratory of Biomechanics and Rehabilitation of Inferior Limbs. Its concepts, reactions and expectations toward this kind of rehabilitation were also investigated, as well as the identification for the leading of a psychotherapeutic treatment appropriate to the characterization of the process of spinal cord injury patients who were subjected to neuromuscular electrical stimulation in order to be biased toward the achievement of a rehabilitational process, which gives to the spinal cord injured person in his/her biopsycho social dynamic. For this, subjects of this research were divided in two different groups. The first group, people who were in the first year of treatment and the second group, people who had been in treatment for more than one year. A schedule of a half-standard interview was used and aimed to know aspects such as spinal cord injured person´s point of view about his/her own disability, how he/she faces it, social and family life as well as his/her concepts and expectations regarding to rehabilitation through neuromuscular electrical stimulation. The total or partial recovering of the functions that were taken by the spinal cord injury was had as one of the patients´ goals, which were worried about the positive effects by using this treatment, within reach physical and psychosocial improvement. They tried to invest in many other aspects of life, such as professional, family, social and affective aspects