Effects of electrical stimulation leg training during the acute phase of spinal cord injury: a pilot study.
Four individuals with a spinal cord injury underwent 16 weeks of isometric electrical stimulation training to both legs for 60 min, five times per week during the first 5 months after injury, while two SCI individuals remained untrained. A baseline biopsy sample of the vastus lateralis muscle was obtained within 1 month of injury, and another biopsy sample was taken after a further 16 weeks. The untrained, paralyzed skeletal muscle displayed a reduction in (1) type I fibers (from 50% to 9%), (2) myosin heavy chain (MHC) I (from 27% to 6%), and (3) fiber cross-sectional area of type I, type IIA and type IIX fibers (-62%, -68%, and -55%, respectively) when compared to the baseline sample of muscle taken within 1 month of injury. In contrast, the trained group showed smaller alterations in type I fibers (from 49% to 40%) and MHC I composition (from 39% to 25%), while fiber cross-sectional area was similar to baseline levels for type I, type IIA and type IIX fibers (-3%, -8%, and -4%, respectively). In conclusion, electrical stimulation training can largely prevent the adverse effects of a spinal cord injury upon paralyzed human skeletal muscle if applied soon after the injury.
Crameri
R M
RM
School of Exercise and Sport Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Lidcombe, NSW, Australia. r.crameri@cchs.usyd.edu.au
Weston
A R
AR
Rutkowski
S
S
Middleton
J W
JW
Davis
G M
GM
Sutton
J R
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000737:chemistry; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*
D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains