Comparison of near heterophoria tests under varying conditions on an adult sample

PURPOSE: This study compared the near phoria measurement using the Bernell muscle balance card with and without prism neutralization, using both trial frame and phoropter correction, and compared with the conventional Maddox rod method. METHODS: Forty young normal Chinese adults had their near phoria measured with trial frame correction using the conventional muscle balance card method (method 1). Any deviation was compensated with a prism bar as an alternative approach (method 2). The conventional Maddox rod method (method 3) was also carried out for comparison. These three methods were repeated with phoropter correction and considered as methods 4, 5 and 6. RESULTS: The phorias obtained from these six methods were not significantly different from each other (repeated measures anova, p > 0.05). More than half of the subjects were exophoric. Although the difference in phoria was not significant, phoria measurement using phoropter correction yielded a greater coefficient of variation. CONCLUSIONS: Near phoria measurement using the muscle balance card conducted with trial frame correction was less variable, and was also more natural and similar to a real reading situation. The use of prism for compensation did not affect the phoria results. Exophoria seems to be more common than esophoria in young Chinese adults.     

Effects of ageing on the total number of muscle fibers and motoneurons of the tibialis anterior and soleus muscles in the rat

The age-related changes in the total number of muscle fibers and motoneurons of the tibialis anterior and soleus muscles were studied using 10-, 65-, and 135-week-old rats. The number of fast twitch muscle fibers was decreased at age 65 weeks, while the numbers of slow twitch fibers and of alpha motoneurons were decreased only later, at age 135 weeks. Therefore, the degenerative process of muscle fibers differs with the fiber type.     

Impaired modulation of motor cortex excitability by homonymous and heteronymous muscle afferents in focal hand dystonia.

A decrease of heteronymous median nerve-evoked inhibition of corticospinal projections to forearm extensor muscles was reported in a group of 10 dystonic patients by Bertolasi and colleagues in 2003. Here we tested the excitability of corticomotoneuronal connections to both wrist extensor (ECR) and flexor (FCR) muscles after conditioning stimulation of median and also radial nerve at rest in a group of 25 patients with focal hand dystonia compared to 20 healthy subjects. We also investigated the effect of the wrist dystonic posture, either in flexion or in extension, on the afferent modulation of ECR and FCR motor evolved potentials (MEPs). The heteronymous (median-induced) but also homonymous (radial-induced) inhibitions (interstimuli intervals 13-21 ms) of ECR MEP size observed in healthy subjects were decreased in patients. In addition, homonymous (median-induced) facilitation of FCR MEP size was also decreased in patients while heteronymous inhibition (radial-induced) was not. Neither the involvement of the target muscle in the dystonic posture nor the origin of the afferent volley (from a dystonic muscle) influenced the degree of impairment of afferent modulation of the MEP. These findings support the view that a global abnormal somatosensory coupling in focal hand dystonia may contribute to an inadequate motor command to wrist muscles.     

前列通瘀提取液对前列腺平滑肌细胞增殖与凋亡的作用

目的:研究前列通瘀提取液对体外培养前列腺基质平滑肌细胞增殖与凋亡的作用。方法:分别以1、2、10、50、100×10-5g/L 5种不同浓度前列通瘀提取液作用体外培养前列腺基质平滑肌细胞,采用MTT和TUNEL法分别测定抗增殖指数和凋亡指数。结果:5种不同浓度前列通瘀提取液作用48 h后抗增殖指数分别为50.61%、53.52%、56.92%、65.53%、72.94%,抗增殖效果随着浓度增大而增大。100×10-5g/L前列通瘀提取液作用24、48、72 h后凋亡指数与对照组比较差异无显著性。结论:(1~100)×10-5g/L前列通瘀提取液体外作用前列腺基质平滑肌细胞具有显著的抗增殖作用。     

Treatment of cremaster synkinesias with botulinum toxin A: a video case report.

Synkinesias secondary to nerve lesions and aberrant re-innervation are well-known phenomena especially after lesions of the facial nerve. Synkinesias can successfully be treated with botulinum toxin A (BTx A). Synkinesias of the cremaster muscle have not been described or treated to date. We present the case of a 62-year-old man who developed synkinesias of both cremaster muscles after extensive laparatomy for esophageal cancer. Treatment of synkinesias with various oral medications had been unsuccessful. Electromyography-guided injections of BTx A in both cremaster muscles (15 MU on the right and 10 on the left) led to significant symptom relief for an average of 8 weeks. We present the case including pre- and posttreatment video clips.     

胫骨前肌疲劳时比目鱼肌诱发肌电图H波的变化及其机制探讨

为了解主动肌疲劳时拮抗肌脊髓运动神经元兴奋性变化的规律 ,本研究采用踝关节背屈运动形式 ,对胫骨前肌 (主动肌 )疲劳状态下的比目鱼肌 (拮抗肌 )诱发肌电图H波成分进行了观察。并以压迫阻断胫骨前肌Ⅰa类神经纤维传导的方法 ,对比目鱼肌H波变化机制进行了分析探讨。结果发现 :(1)胫骨前肌疲劳后 ,比目鱼肌H波明显受到抑制 ,与安静时比较呈非常显著性差异 ;(2 )胫骨前肌Ⅰa类神经纤维传导被阻断后 ,比目鱼肌H波的抑制现象没有解除。表明 ,胫骨前肌疲劳时比目鱼肌H波被抑制的原因 ,可能是由于主动肌内的代谢产物激活了Ⅲ·Ⅳ类神经纤维的感受器 ,Ⅲ·Ⅳ类神经纤维的传入冲动增加 ,使Ⅰa抑制性中间神经元被激活 ,导致拮抗肌脊髓运动神经元的兴奋性受到了抑制     

两种不同方法定位肌间沟臂丛神经阻滞的临床观察

目的 观察经肩胛舌骨肌定位和运用神经刺激器定位肌间沟臂丛神经阻滞两种方法的临床效果。方法 选择ASAⅠ-Ⅱ级的择期上肢手术患者60例，随机分为两组：I组（30例）通过肩胛舌骨肌定位穿刺点寻找异感；Ⅱ组（30例）使用神经刺激器定位肌间沟臂丛神经，观察肌肉节律性收缩。两组分别观察进针深度，阻滞效果及不良反应。I组还同时观察肩胛舌骨肌触摸难易度，穿刺部位以及一次异感获得率等。结果 I组肩胛舌骨肌触摸容易者27例（90％），穿刺部位距锁骨上缘1.6-3.1cm，进针深度0.5-1.5cm，一次获得异感26例（87％），阻滞效果完善，无不良反应。Ⅱ组有28例阻滞完善，另2例阻滞不全，2例出现不良反应。结论 运用神经刺激器定位肌间沟臂丛神经阻滞切实可行。而以肩胛舌骨肌定位肌间沟臂丛神经阻滞定位明确，效果满意，简单易行。     

Influence of stretch-shortening cycle on mechanical behaviour of triceps surae during hopping

Belli , A. & Bosco, A. 1992. Influence of stretch-shortening cycle on mechanical behaviour of triceps surae during hopping. Acta Physiol Scand 144 , 401408. Received 20 March 1 991 , accepted 3 December 1991. ISSN 0001–6772. Laboratories of Physiology, Universities of St Etienne and Lyon, France and Departments of Biology and Physical Activity, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Six subjects performed a first series of vertical plantar flexions and a second series of vertical rebounds, both involving muscle triceps surae exclusively. Vertical displacements, vertical forces and ankle angles were recorded during the entire work period of 60 seconds per series. In addition, expired gases were collected during the test and recovery for determination of the energy expenditure. Triceps surae was mechanically modelled with a contractile component and with an elastic component. Mechanical behaviour and work of the different muscle components were determined in both series. The net muscular efficiency calculated from the work performed by the centre of gravity was 17.5±3.0% (mean ± SD) in plantar flexions and 29.9 ± 4.8% in vertical rebounds. The net muscle efficiency calculated from the work performed by the contractile component was 17.4 %% 2.9% in plantar flexions and 16.1 ± 1.47; in vertical rebounds. These results suggest that the muscular efficiency differences do not reflect muscle contractile component efficiency but essentially the storage and recoil of elastic energy. This is supported by the relationship (P < 0.01) found in vertical rebounds between the extra work and the elastic component work. A detailed observation of the mechanical behaviour of muscle mechanical components showed that the strategy to maximize the elastic work depends also on the force-velocity characteristics of the movement and that the eccentric-concentric work of the contractile component does not always correspond respectively to the ankle extension-flexion.     

High proportion of type I fibres in thigh muscle of young dancers

A previous study showed that adult female dancers have a high percentage of type I fibres in vastus lateralis. similar to that of endurance-trained female runners ar female cross-country skiers. It is not known if dancers already at an early age are characterized by a high percentage of type I fibres or develop a high percentage of type I fibres as a consequence of dance training. Furthermore. the muscle fibre composition of male dancers has not previously been studied. Therefore the aim of the study was to analyse skeletal muscle fibre characteristics in 10-year-old and 20-year-old dancers of both sexes. Age-matched boys and girls whose physical activity was average for their age groups served as controls. Muscle biopsies for histochemical analysis were obtained from vastus lateralis using the percutaneous needle technique. The major finding of the present study was that the vastus lateralis of young dancers of both sexes had a higher percentage of type I fibres than that of controls. Moreover. the higher type I percentage was seen not only in 20 year aids. but also in 10 year aids. who had begun their dance training at a professional level only a few weeks earlier. No significant difference in this respect was found between female and male dancers. In conclusion. the muscle fibre type composition in young dancers of both sexes differs from that of the average individual of the same age and is characterized by a high percentage of type I fibres.     

Simultaneous measurement of intracellular pH and contraction in uterine smooth muscle

Changes in intracellular pH (pH_i) are thought to produce large changes in force production in the uterus. There have however, been no simultaneous measurements of pH_i and force in the uterus and therefore no direct information is available about the relation between the two. We have used carboxy-SNARF (a pH-sensitive fluorophore) in small strips of longitudinal myometrium and obtained simultaneous measurements of pH_i and force. SNARF did not alter contractile function, and continuous measurements of pH_i could be made for 2 hours. The mean resting pH_i (7.16) was similar to that reported previously. Application of weak bases rapidly raised pH_i, in a concentration-dependent manner, followed by a gradual restoration of pH_i to resting levels. Alkalinization greatly increased the frequency of contractions, often accompanied by a small increase in their amplitude. Removal of base produced a rebound acidification which transiently abolished contractions. Direct acidification of the cytoplasm, by application of weak acid, also abolished contractions. However the alkalinization which accompanied removal of acid, produced variable effects on force.Supported by the M.R.C.