title: Effects of aquatic exercises in a rat model of brainstem demyelination with ethidium bromide on the beam walking test.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system associated with varied levels of disability. The impact of early physiotherapeutic interventions in the disease progression is unknown. We used an experimental model of demyelination with the gliotoxic agent ethidium bromide and early aquatic exercises to evaluate the motor performance of the animals. We quantified the number of footsteps and errors during the beam walking test. The demyelinated animals walked fewer steps with a greater number of errors than the control group. The demyelinated animals that performed aquatic exercises presented a better motor performance than those that did not exercise. Therefore aquatic exercising was beneficial to the motor performance of rats in this experimental model of demyelination.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Educação Física e Fisioterapia, Universidade Metodista de São Paulo, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil. cintiacasn@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Cíntia Cristina Souza
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Nassar
authors.forename: Eduardo Fernandes
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Bondan
authors.forename: Sandra Regina
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Alouche
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004996:Ethidium; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004996:Ethidium