Apart from motor and sensory function loss, an injury to the spinal cord can cause sympathetic dysfunction, which has been shown to affect immune responses. In this thesis, data from five experimental studies have been collected to compare physiological and psychophysiological exercise responses between wheelchair athlete subgroups with different disabilities (tetraplegic, paraplegic, and non-spinal cord-injured). In two preparatory studies, physiological exercise responses to exhaustive (Chapter 4) and submaximal exercise (Chapter 5) were investigated in all three disability subgroups. Whilst reliability measures for peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) were in a range observed previously in able-bodied athletes, the variation in tetraplegic athletes was larger when expressed relative to their VO2peak, questioning the use of this variable to track small changes in aerobic capacity in athletic populations. Submaximal physiological and psychophysiological exercise responses were found to be similar between disability subgroups when expressed as a percentage of VO2peak, justifying the protocol used in the laboratory study on mucosal immune function, which was based on the same percentages of VO2peak for all disability subgroups. The most extensive study of this thesis, detailed in Chapter 6, showed that single laboratory-controlled 60-min exercise sessions increase both salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), a marker of mucosal immunity, and α-amylase, a marker of sympathetic activation in all three disability subgroups. However, the impaired sympathetic nervous system in tetraplegic athletes seemed to influence the fine-tuning of their sIgA response when compared with paraplegic and non-spinal cord-injured athletes, resulting in a larger exercise-induced increase of sIgA secretion rate when compared to paraplegic and non-spinal cord-injured athletes. Based on these results, the study detailed in Chapter 7 investigated sIgA responses in tetraplegic athletes during wheelchair rugby court training. Despite their disability, these athletes showed responses thought to be governed by the sympathetic nervous system, such as reductions of saliva flow rate as a result of strenuous exercise. Similarly, the responses observed in Chapter 8 imply a comparable trend of chronic sIgA exercise responses in tetraplegic athletes as found in the able-bodied population, namely a decrease in sIgA secretion rate during periods of heavy training. These are the first studies in wheelchair athlete populations to investigate mucosal immune responses. Interestingly, despite the disruption of their sympathetic nervous system, some responses in tetraplegic athletes are comparable with findings in able-bodied populations. It is possible that due to their highly trained nature, these tetraplegic individuals are able to compensate for their loss of central sympathetic innervation. This may be by way of adapted spinal reflex or parasympathetic nervous system activity, or increased sensitivity of receptors involved in autonomic pathways. Therefore, sympathetic nervous function in tetraplegic athletes may be qualitatively altered, but in parts still be functional.

No description available.

Aujourd'hui, 90 millions de personnes dans le monde souffrent de lésions de la moelle épinière. Grâce aux progrès de la prise en charge des patients, leur espérance de vie est comparable à celle du reste de la population et la priorité de la recherche médicale est désormais consacrée à l'amélioration de leur qualité de vie. La stimulation électrique fonctionnelle (SEF) permet de restaurer les mouvements des membres paralysés et a des bénéfices thérapeutiques et fonctionnels. L'objectif de cette thèse est de proposer des solutions pour l'assistance au lever de chaise, au transfert d'une surface à une autre et à la station debout. Nous souhaitons trouver un compromis entre fonctionnalité et simplicité d'utilisation en termes de nombres de capteurs requis et de complexité calculatoire et donc favoriser l'application en environnement clinique et privé.

The overall aim of this study is to explore the subjective experiences of psychotherapeutic interventions and the sense-making process in a group of persons paralysed as a consequence of violence-related gunshot injury. An available and purposive sample of ten participants was selected from public and private hospitals in and around Johannesburg, and from the Association for the Physically Disabled in South Africa. Three females and seven males, between the ages of 26 and 43 years, took part in the research. The participants had all suffered penetrative damage to the spinal cord in the thoracic region as a result of violence related gunshot injury, and are therefore classified as having paraplegia The participants' gunshot injuries had been sustained in incidents ranging from attempted hijacking and armed robbery, to being caught in crime-related crossfire. In-depth interviews were conducted with the participants. A narrative approach was used to examine participants' unique stories, utilising a systematic form of narrative analysis. The thesis consists of three articles, namely 1) The subjective experience of psychotherapeutic interventions in the rehabilitation of persons paralysed as a result of violence-related gunshot injuries; 2) Making sense of paraplegia caused by violence-related gunshot injury; and 3) Therapeutic guidelines for the management of persons paralysed as a result of violence-related gunshot injuries. The findings of article 1 reveal that paraplegic persons had both positive and negative experiences during their hospital rehabilitation. Ultimately, however, positive experiences compensated for negative experiences. This suggests that in the absence of psychotherapeutic interventions, psychosocial adjustment may possibly not be facilitated. The second article indicates that although several barriers prevented participants from making sense of their trauma, meaningful relationships, spiritual growth and a greater appreciation of the value of life were still possible. in the final article guidelines were put forward that include meeting the holistic and adjustment needs of paraplegic persons. Future research is suggested and limitations acknowledged. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating motor neuron disease which results from the degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons in the brainstem, spinal cord and motor cortex. Tragically there is no treatment to prevent ALS. The drug Riluzole acts to delay progression, but only by a month or so in this disease that has a survival length of three to five years. The identification of genes that are mutated in patients with ALS would help devise novel therapeutic strategies as much remains to be discovered about the genetics of ALS. Familial forms of the disease account for only 5-10% of patients. Among these familial cases, about 15-20% are caused by mutations in the zinc/copper superoxide dismutase gene, but the genetic basis of the remaining familial cases and the many sporadic cases continues to be largely unknown. / Altogether, the results presented in this thesis came from the use of several strategies to establish the genetic cause of ALS and the related motor neuron disorders like hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) and primary lateral sclerosis (PLS). A concerted and collaborative effort was put forth to identify the gene causative for ALS3 on chromosome 18. In addition, a recently reported locus has been confirmed on chromosome 9p for patients that present both ALS and frontotemporal dementia. The major finding involves the discovery of eight mutations in the TARDBP gene in nine patients with sporadic and familial ALS. Furthermore, a large association study evaluated the role of common polymorphisms in the paraoxonase gene cluster in susceptibility to the development of ALS. In the analysis of upper motor neuron diseases, mutations in a novel gene, KIAA0196, were identified for the HSP locus SPG8 on chromosome 8. Finally, the first locus for PLS was discovered on the p-arm of chromosome 4 following genome scan analysis of a large Quebec family with PLS. / These genetic discoveries all contributed novel advances to the field of motor neuron disorders. As more is elucidated regarding the biochemical function of these the proteins encoded by these genes, a more comprehensive picture of ALS and other motor neuron disorders will hopefully emerge.

Thesis--Catholic University of America. / Vita. Bibliography: p. 169-179.

Thesis--Catholic University of America. / Vita. Bibliography: p. 169-179.

Following on from Rio de Janeiro 2016, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will present a unique challenge for athletes, needing to prepare and adapt to the potential challenging environmental conditions of 20-27°C and ~73% relative humidity. It is well known that during exercise in hot and/or humid climates, able-bodied athletes experience an increase in thermal strain and a reduction in performance compared to cooler/drier conditions. Yet these conditions prove even more problematic for athletes, who as a consequence of their impairment have a dysfunctional thermoregulatory system, such as athletes with a spinal cord injury (SCI). To date, the thermoregulatory responses of athletes with an SCI have been an under-studied area of research. To gain a greater understanding of how heat balance is altered in individuals with an SCI and the thermoregulatory consequences as a result, studies need to first be conducted at rest, removing the additional metabolic heat production from exercise. Although a large majority of athletes with an SCI compete indoors in wheelchair court sports (e.g. wheelchair basketball and rugby), exercising even in these climate-controlled environments has been shown to place these athletes under considerable thermal strain. In light of this, it is remarkable that existing research on the thermoregulatory responses of athletes with an SCI during exercise is scarce, especially studies encompassing real-world sporting environments. Athletes with high level lesions (tetraplegia, TP) are a particularly under-studied population group shown to have a greater thermoregulatory impairment than individuals with low level lesions (paraplegia, PA) during continuous exercise. Thus the aim of this thesis was to investigate the thermoregulatory responses of athletes with an SCI at rest and during real-world sporting scenarios, with specific focus on athletes with TP. Study 1 aimed to determine how evaporative heat loss is altered, as a result of an SCI, compared to the able-bodied (AB), and the effect lesion level has on this response. The results provide evidence that in individuals with TP, even at rest, evaporative heat loss is not large enough to balance the heat load, when evaporation is the primary source of heat dissipation. Even though in individuals with PA Tgi increased by a smaller magnitude and they possessed a greater sweating capacity than individuals with TP, at ambient temperatures above Tsk latent heat loss is insufficient to attain heat balance, compared to the AB. To investigate the thermoregulatory responses of athletes with an SCI during real-world sporting scenarios Study 2 examined athletes with TP compared to athletes with PA during 60 min of intermittent sprint wheelchair exercise on a wheelchair ergometer. The study was conducted in conditions representative of an indoor playing environment for wheelchair rugby and basketball (~21°C, 40% relative humidity). Results demonstrated that, despite similar external work, athletes with TP were under greater thermal strain than athletes with PA. Study 3 s novel approach investigated both physiological responses and activity profiles of wheelchair rugby players during competitive match play. Despite players with TP covering 17% less distance and pushing on average 10% slower, they were under a greater amount of thermal strain than players with non-spinal related physical impairments (NON-SCI). Furthermore, this study demonstrated that players with TP that had a larger body mass, larger lean mass, covered a greater relative distance and/or were a higher point player had a greater end Tgi. These data provide an insight for coaches and support staff regarding which players may need greater attention in regards to cooling strategies or breaks in play. The effectiveness of cooling practices currently employed by athletes with TP has not been previously investigated. Study 4 determined the effectiveness of pre-cooling, using an ice vest alone and in combination with water sprays between quarters, at attenuating thermal strain in athletes with TP. Using the activity profile data from Study 3, an intermittent sprint protocol, conducted on a wheelchair ergometer, was used to represent a wheelchair rugby match. The combination of cooling methods lowered Tgi and Tsk to a greater extent than pre-cooling only, despite neither cooling condition having a positive or negative effect on performance. Unexpectedly, the pre-cooling only condition lowered Tgi, compared to no cooling, throughout the subsequent exercise protocol, even though the reduction in Tsk was not long lasting. This thesis provides comprehensive evidence that athletes with TP experience heightened thermal strain during both rest and real-world sporting scenarios compared to the AB, athletes with PA, and within the sport of wheelchair rugby. Athletes with TP should employ practices, such as appropriate cooling methods or alter playing tactics to reduce thermal strain and the likelihood of attaining a heat related injury.

Dissertação (mestrado) - Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba, 2012 / Bibliografia: f. 84-87 / Introdução: O Cateterismo Intermitente Limpo (CIL) é uma forma segura e efetiva de prevenir as complicações da disfunção vesical de origem neurológica causada, por exemplo, por uma lesão da medula espinhal. Um crescente número de publicações tem demonstra. / Introduction: Clean Intermittent Catheterization (CIC) is a safe and effective way to prevent complications of neurogenic bladder dysfunction, caused, for example for a spinal cord injury. A growing number of publications have demonstrated the importance .

Submitted by Automa??o e Estat?stica (sst@bczm.ufrn.br) on 2016-02-01T21:54:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ElianeSantosCavalcante_TESE.pdf: 2755677 bytes, checksum: 4bcc775074aae16da7d2b7146be18bab (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Elisangela Moura (lilaalves@gmail.com) on 2016-03-07T20:07:57Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 ElianeSantosCavalcante_TESE.pdf: 2755677 bytes, checksum: 4bcc775074aae16da7d2b7146be18bab (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-07T20:07:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ElianeSantosCavalcante_TESE.pdf: 2755677 bytes, checksum: 4bcc775074aae16da7d2b7146be18bab (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-12-12 / A les?o medular ocasiona manifesta??es incapacitantes permanentes, afetando a integridade anat?mica, mudan?as corporais e limita??es funcionais pertinentes ao estado de defici?ncia. Objetivou-se analisar a trajet?ria de vida dos pescadores com les?o medular v?timas de acidente por mergulho nas praias do litoral Norte/RN. Trata-se de estudo explorat?rio-descritivo, com dados quantitativos, qualitativos e representacional, desenvolvido em col?nias de pescadores de nove praias do litoral Norte/RN, entre outubro de 2013 a agosto de 2014, ap?s a aprova??o do Comit? de ?tica em Pesquisa da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte/UFRN, parecer n? 431.891/2013, CAAE 20818913.0.0000.5537. A amostra comp?s-se por pescadores acometidos por les?o medular, definida a partir dos crit?rios de inclus?o e de exclus?o dos participantes. Utilizou-se como instrumento de coleta de dados a entrevista semiestruturada. Analisaram-se os dados quantitativos por meio da estat?stica descritiva, apresentando-os em forma de tabelas, quadros e gr?ficos, utilizando o Microsolft Excel. Submeteram-se os dados das entrevistas ao software Analyse Lexicale par Contexte d`um Ensemble de Segments de Texte (ALCESTE) e ? luz da an?lise da Teoria das Representa??es Sociais e Teoria do N?cleo Central. Esclarece-se e apresentam-se os resultados da pesquisa a partir de quatro artigos, seguindo recomenda??es normativas dos peri?dicos: 1. Caracteriza??o dos pescadores artesanais atendidos em hospital naval v?timas de doen?a descompressiva, em an?lise documental. Dos 28 pescadores artesanais estudados, todos eram do sexo masculino, faixa et?ria de 31 a 40 anos (53,6%) e casados (35,7%). A doen?a descompressiva ocorreu prevalentemente no baixo ver?o (75,0%), litoral Norte (96,4%), tendo como principais agravos a parestesia e dor nos membros superiores (67,9%), seguido de les?o medular (57,1%) e ?bitos de 25,0%. 2. Estresse e ansiedade em pescadores artesanais v?timas de les?o medular. Estudo descritivo: Dos 44 participantes, todos eram do sexo masculino, m?dia de idades de 49,6 anos, ensino fundamental (68,2%), casados (77,3%); com sequela de paraplegia (50,0%). A maioria apresentava estresse (75,0%), encontrando-se na fase de quase exaust?o (33,3%), com sintomas prevalentes de ins?nia (95,5%) nas ?ltimas horas; hipertens?o (97,7%) na ?ltima semana e dificuldades sexuais (95,5%) no ?ltimo m?s. 3. Experi?ncias, mem?rias, scripts, representa??es sociais sobre les?o medular para pescadores v?timas de acidentes por mergulho: A an?lise de 10 entrevistas permitiu a constru??o de tr?s categorias: Incapacidade na coordena??o sens?rio-motora da deambula??o; Ressignifica??o da defici?ncia e o sentido da depend?ncia e Autonomia e adapta??o limitante. 4. Representa??es sociais de pescadores artesanais v?timas de les?o medular: repercuss?es na trajet?ria de vida. A an?lise de 31 entrevistas sob a ?tica da compreens?o das Representa??es Sociais da les?o medular permitiu a constru??o de sete categorias: Tratamento: limita??es e expectativas; Les?o Medular: antes e depois; Aposentadoria: uma realidade ainda distante; Defici?ncia: depend?ncia, incapacidade e vulnerabilidade; Supera??o e autonomia; Sentimentos do eu: perdas f?sicas e recome?o; Vida e trabalho: impedimentos, planos e mudan?as. Conclui-se esse estudo com o alcance dos objetivos, cuja tem?tica ? relevante para a sa?de p?blica de homens pescadores. Sugere-se medidas de preven??o, promo??o e recupera??o da sa?de do homem pescador, al?m das condi??es seguras, saud?veis e dignas como compromisso das pol?ticas de sa?de. / Spinal cord injury causes permanent disabling manifestations, affecting the anatomic integrity, bodily changes and functional limitations related to the disability state. It was aimed to analyze the social representation, stress level and experiences of fishermen victims of spinal cord injury caused by diving accident in the Northern beaches of Brazil. It is a descriptive - exploratory study with quantitative, qualitative and representational data developed i n fishermen?s villages in nine beaches of Northern shore/RN, between October 2013 to August 2014, after the approval of the Ethics Committee in Research of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, under the number 431.891/2013, CAAE 20818913.0.0000 .5537. The sample was composed by 44 fishermen with spinal cord injury, defined from inclusion and exclusion criteria of the participants. It was used as instrument to collect the data a semi structured interview. Quantitative data was analyzed by descrip tive statistics, showing the data through table, boxes and graphics by Microsoft Excel. Data from interviews were submitted to the software called Analyse Lexicale par Contexte d?un Ensemble de Segments de Texte (ALCESTE) using the analysis of the Social R epresentation Theory and Center Core Theory. It is shown the outcomes of the research through four articles, following the normative recommendations of the journals. Participants of the study were all male, age mean 49,6 years, elementary school (68,2%), m arried (77,3%); paraplegia sequel (50,0%). Most of them showed stress (75,0%), almost in the exhaustion stage (33,3%), prevalent insomnia symptoms (95,5%) in the last hours; hypertension (97,7%) in the last week and sexual troubles (95,5%) in the last mont h). Decompressive illness caused spinal cord injury (57,1%), occurred prevalently in low summer (75,0%), northern shore (96,4%), having as main consequences the paresthesia and pain in the upper and lower limbs (67,9%), followed by death (25,0%). Interview analysis under the understanding of Social Representation of spinal cord injury allowed the appearance of seven categories: Treatment: limitation and expectative; Spinal Cord injury: before and after; Retirement: reality yet to come; Disability: dependenc y, incapacity, vulnerability; Overcoming and autonomy; Self feelings: physics losses and new start; Life and labor: impediments, plans and changes. The center core of the representation is found in the first category by the expectative and limitation on th e treatment, meanwhile the outskirt elements are in seventh and third categories. Physics limitation for fishing activities and retirement expectative is the most outstanding of the structure. Social representation concerning spinal cord injury is found in a transaction moment between before and after with the prevented fishing activity, coping of the situation with the potential remaining. The anchoring is established in the desire for changes related to the improvements of life and health conditions exper ienced day by day through faith. This study finishes pointing out the range of the objectives, which topic is relevant for public health of fishermen. It is suggested prevention measures, promotion and health recovery of fishermen, besides safe, healthy an d worthy conditions as a compromise of social and health politics.