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European Journal of Translational... Feb 2022Sarcopenia is defined by the loss of muscle mass and function. In aging sarcopenia is due to mild chronic inflammation but also to fiber-intrinsic defects, such as...
Sarcopenia is defined by the loss of muscle mass and function. In aging sarcopenia is due to mild chronic inflammation but also to fiber-intrinsic defects, such as mitochondrial dysfunction. Age-related sarcopenia is associated with physical disability and lowered quality of life. In addition to skeletal muscle, the nervous tissue is also affected in elderly people. With aging, type 2 fast fibers preferentially undergo denervation and are reinnervated by slow-twitch motor neurons. They spread forming new neuro-muscular junctions with the denervated fibers: the result is an increased proportion of slow fibers that group together since they are associated in the same motor unit. Grouping and fiber type shifting are indeed major histological features of aging skeletal muscle. Exercise has been proposed as an intervention for age-related sarcopenia due to its numerous beneficial effects on muscle mechanical and biochemical features. In 2013, a precursor study in humans was published in the European Journal of Translation Myology (formerly known as Basic and Applied Myology), highlighting the occurrence of reinnervation in the musculature of aged, exercise-trained individuals as compared to the matching control. This paper, entitled «Reinnervation of Vastus lateralis is increased significantly in seniors (70-years old) with a lifelong history of high-level exercise», is now being reprinted for the second issue of the «Ejtm Seminal Paper Series». In this short review we discuss those results in the light of the most recent advances confirming the occurrence of exercise-mediated reinnervation, ultimately preserving muscle structure and function in elderly people who exercise.
PubMed: 35234025
DOI: 10.4081/ejtm.2022.10416 -
Respiratory Care Jun 2019Neuromuscular diseases are a heterogeneous group of neurologic diseases that affect a number of neural structures including the motor nerves, neuromuscular junctions, or... (Review)
Review
Neuromuscular diseases are a heterogeneous group of neurologic diseases that affect a number of neural structures including the motor nerves, neuromuscular junctions, or the muscles themselves. Although many of the diseases are rare, the total number of individuals who present to a pulmonologist or respiratory care provider is significant. Approaches to care include regular and careful clinical follow-up of symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing, daytime hypoventilation, as well as cough and swallowing effectiveness. Noninvasive support with nocturnal mask ventilation and a pressure support device can be extraordinarily helpful and delay daytime ventilatory failure. When daytime ventilatory failure develops, other noninvasive methods are available for portable assistance. Support of cough function with manual assistance, a resuscitator bag, and/or mechanical insufflation-exsufflation can help prevent and treat infection. Referral for swallowing evaluation and treatment is very important for those with impaired bulbar function. This comprehensive respiratory care approach to individuals with neuromuscular disease and respiratory system involvement is essential to maintaining the health and longevity of these individuals.
Topics: Cough; Deglutition; Humans; Hypoventilation; Insufflation; Laryngeal Masks; Neuromuscular Diseases; Noninvasive Ventilation; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; Respiratory Therapy; Sleep Apnea Syndromes
PubMed: 31110036
DOI: 10.4187/respcare.06827 -
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental... 2022The trachea is a long tube that enables air passage between the larynx and the bronchi. C-shaped cartilage rings on the ventral side stabilise the structure. On its... (Review)
Review
The trachea is a long tube that enables air passage between the larynx and the bronchi. C-shaped cartilage rings on the ventral side stabilise the structure. On its esophagus-facing dorsal side, deformable smooth muscle facilitates the passage of food in the esophagus. While the symmetry break along the dorsal-ventral axis is well understood, the molecular mechanism that results in the periodic expression pattern that translates into the cartilage rings has remained elusive. Here, we review the molecular regulatory interactions that have been elucidated, and discuss possible patterning mechanisms. Understanding the principles of self-organisation is important, both to define biomedical interventions and to enable tissue engineering.
PubMed: 35573681
DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.900447 -
Journal of Voice : Official Journal of... Jan 2020The larynx is a complex organ which has a role in a variety of functions such as phonation, breathing, and swallowing. To research these functions, it is widely accepted... (Review)
Review
The larynx is a complex organ which has a role in a variety of functions such as phonation, breathing, and swallowing. To research these functions, it is widely accepted that in vivo studies provide more anatomically and physiologically relevant findings. However, invasive procedures are generally needed to measure variables such a subglottal pressure, vocal fold tension and stiffness, and cricothyroid muscle stretch. Performing studies using excised larynges is a useful technique which makes it possible to not only measure phonation parameters but control them as well. Early studies using excised larynges mainly focused on controlling specific parameters and mathematical modeling simulations. The use of these studies has helped further research in laryngeal anatomy, imaging techniques, as well as aerodynamic, acoustic, and biomechanical properties. Here, we describe the progress of this research over the past 5 years. The number of accepted animal models has increased and ideas from excised larynx studies are starting to be applied to treatment methods for laryngeal disorders. These experiments are only valid for an excised situation and must continue to be combined with animal experimentation and clinical observations.
Topics: Animals; Biomechanical Phenomena; Computer Simulation; Humans; Laryngectomy; Larynx; Models, Animal; Models, Theoretical; Phonation
PubMed: 30262190
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2018.07.023