The response of denervated muscle to long-term electrical stimulation

Lømo, Terje; Westgaard, Rolf H.; Hennig, R.; Gundersen, Kristian

doi:10.4081/bam.2014.1.21

Cited by 9 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…If this conclusion can be extended to humans, then it should be possible to maintain and perhaps make some use of denervated muscles in humans by suitable electrical stimulation. If, on the other hand, neurotrophic substances are essential, such prospects seem less likely" (115). Since then, much effort has been made by researchers in Vienna to develop apparatuses and methods for percutaneous long-term stimulation of denervated leg muscles in humans with complete and irreversible lower motor neuron destruction (116)(117)(118).…”

Section: Clinical Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untitled

2016

Annu. Rev. Physiol.

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I have been involved in two scientific discoveries of some impact. One is the discovery of long-term potentiation (LTP), the phenomenon that brief, high-frequency impulse activity at synapses in the brain can lead to longlasting increases in their efficiency of transmission. This finding demonstrated that synapses are plastic, a property thought to be necessary for learning and memory. The other discovery is that nerve-evoked muscle impulse activity, rather than putative trophic factors, controls the properties of muscle fibers. Here I describe how these two discoveries were made, the unexpected difficulties of reproducing the first discovery, and the controversies that followed the second discovery. I discuss why the first discovery took many years to become generally recognized, whereas the second caused an immediate sensation and entered textbooks and major reviews but is now largely forgotten. In the long run, discovering a new phenomenon has greater impact than falsifying a popular hypothesis.

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Section: Clinical Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untitled

2016

Annu. Rev. Physiol.

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“…In our 1985 paper 1 we write: “ an essential neurotrophic control mechanism seems unlikely in the rat. If this conclusion can be extended to humans, then it should be possible to maintain and perhaps make some use of denervated muscles in humans by suitable electrical stimulation.…”

Section: Clinical Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At a meeting in Abano in 1985 I presented a paper with this title. 1 Here, I discuss that paper in the light of previous and present knowledge and ask how its conclusions stand today. In the 1985 paper I concluded that nerve evoked muscle impulse activity is essential for the control of extrajunctional membrane and contractile properties of skeletal muscle fibres and, consequently, that loss of such activity explains why denervated muscle fibres become sensitive to acetylcholine (ACh) along their entire length (ACh supersensitivity).…”

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confidence: 99%

The response of denervated muscle to long-term stimulation (1985, revisited here in 2014)

Lømo

2014

Eur J Transl Myol

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In 1985, at a meeting in Abano, I presented results showing that direct stimulation of skeletal muscles with appropriate stimulus patterns prevents the effects of denervation on non-junctional properties of muscle fibers. Hence, it appeared unnecessary to postulate that unknown nerve-derived trophic factors control such properties, as posited by the (anterograde) neurotrophic hypothesis. Here I discuss this conclusion in the light of what we know today, particularly with respect to the many lines of evidence that were then taken to support the trophic hypothesis, but which today have alternative interpretations consistent with control by evoked impulse activity. Despite much effort, no one has yet identified any nerve-derived factor consistent with the neurotrophic hypothesis. Reports favoring the existence of neurotrophic factors were numerous before 2000. Now they have essentially disappeared from the literature, including original research papers, textbooks and handbooks, suggesting that the hypothesis is no longer arguable. Thus, the results that I presented in our paper in 1985 seem to have held up rather well.

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“…However, if and which chemical trophic factors influence the synchronized expression of the hundreds of nuclei belonging to a single muscle fiber remains unknown. The synchronized spread of muscle action potential seems to be, on the contrary, a more rational mechanism [17]. Despite this opinion, the conclusions of recent reviews are that functional electrical stimulation (FES) is poorly used and ineffective in rehabilitation of elderly patients [14,15,18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fighting muscle weakness in advanced aging by take-home strategies: Safe anti-aging full-body in-bed gym and functional electrical stimulation (FES) for mobility compromised elderly people

Carraro¹,

Gava²,

Baba³

et al. 2016

Biol Eng Med

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All permanent or progressive muscle contractile impairments (including advanced aging-related muscle strength decline) need permanent management. A homebased physical exercise approach may be helpful. Development of implantable devices for muscle stimulation and of electroceuticals, as effective as pace-makers for cardiac arrhythmias or cochlear implants for hearing loss are still in the future and education of hospitalized patients to take-home physical exercise managements is an effective low cost alternative. Frail elderly people due to advanced age or associated diseases are often hospitalized for long periods of time. In the hospital, their already modest amount of daily physical activity is further reduced, contributing to limit their independence to enable them to leave their beds. Inspired by the proven capability to recover skeletal muscle contractility and strength by home-based Functional Electrical Stimulation even in the worse cases of neuromuscular traumatic injuries, but, guided by common sense, we suggest a short (15-20 minutes) daily routine of twelve easy-to-perform physical exercises that may be performed in bed (Full-body In-Bed Gym). If borderline sedentary persons challenge themselves, within a few days of inpatient care, the Full-body In-Bed Gym may increase muscle strength, fatigue resistance and independence in daily life activities. In surgical units, this will permit standing of patients soon after the surgery, a mandatory measure to prevent risk of thromboembolism. Full-body In-Bed Gym helps also to mitigate the bad mood that many times accompanies mobility limitations, strengthening patients' confidence in recovering partial or total independence. Continued regularly, Full-body In-Bed Gym may help to maintain the independence of frail older people and to reduce the risks of the possible serious consequences of accidental falls. Take home message: For a long-term resting muscle the most important event is the first active muscle contraction. To transform you from a sedentary, overweight, depressed person into a more active senior, there is no need of personal trainers or devices. Read here, please, watch the video and secure a better life.

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The response of denervated muscle to long-term electrical stimulation

Cited by 9 publications

References 16 publications

Untitled

Untitled

The response of denervated muscle to long-term stimulation (1985, revisited here in 2014)

Fighting muscle weakness in advanced aging by take-home strategies: Safe anti-aging full-body in-bed gym and functional electrical stimulation (FES) for mobility compromised elderly people

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