Adolescent ; Adult ; Altitude ; Extremities ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Memory ; physiology ; Motor Activity ; physiology ; Movement ; physiology ; Young Adult

Evaluation of limbs muscle function is one of the difficult tasks in forensic clinical medicine. Recently, there are more and more cases needed to be evaluated on the limbs muscle function in forensic clinical appraisal. Thus the assessment methods for muscle function have been concerned increasingly. This paper introduces the classification of muscle function and the type of muscle contraction, reviews the assessment methods for muscle function and their application value, such as manual muscle test, simple instrumental muscle test, isokinetic muscle test and electrophysiological test. It has also proposed to evaluate the muscle function with multiple methods comprehensively.
Biomechanical Phenomena ; Electromyography/methods* ; Exercise Test/methods* ; Extremities/physiology* ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Isometric Contraction/physiology* ; Muscle Contraction/physiology* ; Muscle Strength/physiology* ; Muscle Tonus ; Muscle, Skeletal/physiology* ; Muscles/physiology*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the mediating effect of depression in the relationship between muscle strength of extremities and falls among community-dwelling elderly. METHODS: Two hundred forty-seven participants were recruited from a public health center, a hall for the aged and a school for the aged in B city. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using questionnaires from May to September of 2007. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression using the SPSS WIN 14.0 program. RESULTS: There was a significantly negative relationship between muscle strength of lower extremities and falls, muscle strength of left upper extremity and falls, and muscle strength of right upper extremity and falls. Depression positively correlated with falls. Depression showed mediating effects between muscle strength of extremities and falls. Weakness of muscle strength of extremities increased depression and the increased depression increased the frequencies of falls. CONCLUSION: For the effective management and prevention of community-dwelling older adults' falls, exercise programs including depression-decreasing strategies should be established. These exercise programs can decrease depression which is the mediator role between the degrees of muscle strength of extremities and falls.
*Accidental Falls/prevention & control ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; *Depression ; Extremities/physiology ; Female ; Geriatric Assessment ; Homes for the Aged ; Humans ; Male ; *Muscle Strength

BACKGROUNDWhether plasma can transfer the protective effect(s) of remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) between animals remains unresolved. We therefore investigated the effects of plasma collected 48 hours after transient limb ischemia on blood pressure recovery during myocardial ischemia reperfusion (IR) in homogenic rats.

METHODSPlasma was collected from Lewis rats, and the donor rats were randomly assigned to 2 groups: transient limb ischemia and control (n = 8 each). Transient limb ischemia was achieved by four cycles of 5-minute ischemia and 5-minute reperfusion by noninvasive ligation and deligation of the both legs using elastic rubber bands after anesthesia. In the control group, no ligation was performed. Forty-eight hours later, whole blood was collected, and the plasma spun off. Study Lewis rats underwent 30-minute left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion followed by 180-minute reperfusion, and were randomly assigned to 2 groups (group A and group B, n = 24 each), each further subdivided into 3 subgroups (n = 8 each). The subgroups of group A received normal saline (group A1) , plasma of control rats (group A2), plasma of transient limb ischemia rats (group A3) respectively at 1 hour before IR; the subgroups of group B received normal saline (group B1), plasma of control rats (group B2), plasma of transient limb ischemia rats (group B3) respectively at 24 hours before IR. BIOPAC systems were used to measure hemodynamics of rats during myocardial ischemiareperfusion.

RESULTSSystolic blood pressure (SBP) after IR in group B3 was different from that in groups B1 and B2 (B3 vs. B1, P = 0.007; B3 vs. B2, P = 0.039) at the beginning of reperfusion and 30 minutes after reperfusion. SBP was higher in group B3 than in groups B1 and B2 at the beginning of perfusion (B3 vs. B1, P = 0.010; B3 vs. B2, P = 0.002) and 30 minutes after reperfusion (B3 vs. B1, P = 0.001; B3 vs. B2, P = 0.001). SBP did not differ among subgroups A1, A2 and A3. Diastolic blood pressure and heart rate did not change in group A or group B.

CONCLUSIONSThe transfusion of plasma collected 48 hours after transient limb ischemia into homogenic rats 24 hours before IR can improve the SBP recovery during reperfusion. This may suggest that cardioprotective effect of late phase of RIPC is transferable via plasma.

Animals ; Blood Pressure ; physiology ; Extremities ; blood supply ; Ischemia ; Ischemic Preconditioning ; Male ; Plasma ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred Lew ; Time Factors

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Extremities ; blood supply ; Kidney ; pathology ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; physiology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reperfusion Injury ; pathology ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo study on the relationship between acupuncture stimulating amount and hemotachogram in the limbs of pain arthralgia.

METHODSForty-one cases of pain arthralgia of the lower limbs with cold pathogen as main were selected. After acupuncture and arrival of qi, twirling manipulation with a strong and a weak stimulating intensities respectively given to a same person. Then hemotachogram of the affected limb was investigated and the amplitudes were calculated and compared.

RESULTSAfter strong stimulation of acupuncture, the amplitude decreased and after weak stimulation, the amplitude increased.

CONCLUSIONDifferent stimulating amount of acupuncture can induce different responses of vasomotorial functions of the affected limbs.

Acupuncture Analgesia ; methods ; Adult ; Aged ; Arthralgia ; therapy ; Extremities ; blood supply ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Regional Blood Flow ; physiology

AIMTo explore the effects of noninvasive limb ischemic preconditioning on the anti-stress ability in mice.

METHODSMice were divided into: normal group, control group, preconditioning group and drug group. Hypoxia tolerance test, swimming with weight loading, cold tolerance test and thermostable test were performed, and tolerance time in all the stringent state were observed. SOD activity of serum in hypoxia tolerance test and lactic acid of serum in swimming with weight loading test were determined.

RESULTSThe time of hypoxia tolerance in preconditioning group was markedly increased, and SOD activity of preconditioning group mice was significantly higher than those of control group, while they were both shorter than drug group. The average time of swimming in preconditioning group was markedly increased and the level of increasing the swimming time of preconditioning was the same as caffeine. Preconditioning could increase the survival time on high temperature markedly, and there was no significantly difference in the level of increasing the survival time between preconditioning group and chlorpromazine group. Preconditioning could increase the time of cold tolerance markedly compared with normal group.

CONCLUSIONNoninvasive limb ischemic preconditioning can improve the ability of anti-hypoxia, anti-fatigue, thermoresistance and cold-resistance in mice.

Adaptation, Physiological ; physiology ; Animals ; Extremities ; blood supply ; Fatigue ; prevention & control ; Female ; Hypoxia ; prevention & control ; Ischemic Preconditioning ; methods ; Male ; Mice ; Stress, Physiological ; physiology

This paper reviews the current developing situation of neuroprostheses which are based on the functional electrical stimulation (FES) technique and are used to provide limb movements. It also discusses the major challenges of neuroprostheses, which will be faced in the future development and in the clinical applications for the rehabilitation of spinal cord injury and stroke.
Electric Stimulation Therapy ; methods ; trends ; Extremities ; physiology ; Humans ; Movement ; physiology ; Prostheses and Implants ; Prosthesis Design ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Stroke ; physiopathology ; therapy

Autonomic dysfunction commonly occurs in Parkinson's disease, but the pathogenesis of autonomic dysregulation remains uncertain. Autonomic functions regulating the cardiovascular system have been investigated in Parkinson's disease, but those involving the extremities has not been well demonstrated. To compare autonomic dysfunctions of the cardiovascular system with those of the extremities, we performed sympathetic skin response (SSR) and cardiovascular autonomic function tests (CAFT) - 30:15 ratio, E:I ratio, Valsalva ratio, isometric exercise test (IET) - in 37 patients with Parkinson's disease and 33 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The patients were asked to stop antiparkinsonian medications for at least 12 hours prior to the tests. SSR was measured at the right hand and foot after electrical stimulation of the right median and posterior tibial nerves. Absent SSR at either one or both extremities and CAFT beyond normal ranges were regarded as abnormal. Abnormal SSR was observed in 59% of patients, while abnormal CAFT were found in the range of 32%-81%. Patients with abnormal SSR showed more frequent and severe CAFT abnormalities than did patients with normal SSR. Among the CAFT, IET was well correlated with the SSR. The results suggest that parkinsonian sympathetic dysfunction involving either the cardiovascular system or the extremities may have the same pathophysiology.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Autonomic Nervous System/physiopathology* ; Cardiovascular System/innervation* ; Extremities/innervation ; Female ; Galvanic Skin Response/physiology* ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Parkinson Disease/physiopathology*

AIMTo investigate the role of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) in the cardioprotection by remote preconditioning (RPC).

METHODSRemote Precondition (RPC) was induced in anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats by three cycles of 5 min of right femoral artery occlusion followed by 5 min of reperfusion. Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury was achieved by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min and then reperfusion for 120 min. Infarct size was determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining method. The level of lactate dehydragenase (LDH) in plasma and the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) were measured.

RESULTSRPC significantly decreased the infarct size and plasma lactate dehydrogenase level induced by I/R, and these effects were attenuated by atractyloside (Atr, 5 mg/kg), a MPTP activator. However, administration of cyclosporin A (CsA, 10 mg/kg), an inhibitor of MPTP, decreased the effect of I/R. In isolated ventricular myocytes loaded with calcein, RPC decreased the MPTP opening, and this effect was attenuated by Atr (20 micromol/L).

CONCLUSIONInhibition of MPTP opening is involved in the cardioprotection by RPC.

Animals ; Extremities ; blood supply ; Ischemic Preconditioning ; methods ; Male ; Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins ; physiology ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley