PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Muscling in on MS

Muscle endurance tests can detect abnormalities in the early stages of multiple sclerosis, Tel Aviv University researchers say

2012-01-30
(Press-News.org) Multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurodegenerative disease, causes periodic attacks of neurologic symptoms such as limb weakness and mobility defects. And while MS patients' walking abilities and muscle strength are examined on a regular basis, doctors have yet to determine when the lower limb muscles begin to deteriorate. That's important because with earlier identification of mobility problems, doctors would be able to implement early intervention programs that could make all the difference for those with MS.

Now, Dr. Alon Kalron and his fellow researchers from Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Multiple Sclerosis Centre in Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, have discovered that specific laboratory tests for leg muscle endurance and gait — the pattern of movement while walking or running — are highly effective in identifying mobility deficits at the initial stage of MS. These deficits are difficult to discover during standard neurological testing.

According to Dr. Kalron, who was supervised by Profs. Anat Achiron and Zeevi Dvir, patients in the early stages of MS had 40 percent less muscle endurance compared to their healthy counterparts. Additionally, distinct abnormalities were observed in their walking patterns. The study, which was published in the Journal of Neurologic Physiotherapy, could help researchers understand the mechanisms underlying the evolution of MS, and improve the management of patients afflicted with the disease.

One step at a time

Reduced muscle endurance may be one of the earliest signs of MS and is a common complaint among patients, but it is hard to detect, says Dr. Kalron. In order to quantify muscle fatigue, the researchers conducted a study that included 52 patients in the early stage of MS, and a control group of 28 healthy subjects.

Participants were examined using an isokinetic dynamometer, a special instrument for measuring lower limb muscle strength and endurance. They were asked to attempt to bend or straighten a knee exerting maximum effort, and maintain this position for 30 seconds. Muscle fatigue was calculated by measuring the decline in muscle strength during that period. On average, those in the early stages of MS were not able to maintain their strength — they demonstrated 40 percent less endurance compared to the healthy control group.

In addition, patients' gait was observed for factors such as how far a patient spreads his legs while walking, the length of their steps, and symmetry of movement. By examining walking patterns, the researchers discovered specific abnormalities in the MS group. Patients in the early stages of MS "tend to walk with a wider base, because walking with your legs further apart helps to improve stability. It's probably a compensation strategy due to the lower muscle endurance," explains Dr. Kalron. The participants in the MS group also walked more slowly, in an asymmetrical pattern with shorter steps.

Giving physical therapy a head start

Clinicians should be more aware of possible gait and lower limb muscle deficits very early in the disease process, especially because minor impairments are difficult to detect with regular neurological examinations. "The downside of detecting such deficits using advanced instruments is offset by the positive potential of early intervention programs," suggests Dr. Kalron. "If we find the abnormalities earlier, then we can start intervention programs when they have a chance to benefit the most." Programs based around physical therapy and fitness can help MS patients maintain higher levels of muscle endurance and improve balance, holding off the fatigue that typically accompanies the disease.

###

American Friends of Tel Aviv University (www.aftau.org) supports Israel's leading, most comprehensive and most sought-after center of higher learning. Independently ranked 94th among the world's top universities for the impact of its research, TAU's innovations and discoveries are cited more often by the global scientific community than all but 10 other universities.

Internationally recognized for the scope and groundbreaking nature of its research and scholarship, Tel Aviv University consistently produces work with profound implications for the future.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Cosmology in a Petri dish

Cosmology in a Petri dish
2012-01-30
Scientists have found that micron-size particles which are trapped at fluid interfaces exhibit a collective dynamic that is subject to seemingly unrelated governing laws. These laws show a smooth transitioning from long-ranged cosmological-style gravitational attraction down to short-range attractive and repulsive forces. The study by Johannes Bleibel from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany, and his colleagues has just been published in the journal EPJ E¹ . The authors used so-called colloidal particles that are larger than molecules ...

ASH opposes mandatory sickle cell trait screening for athletics, recommends training interventions

2012-01-30
(WASHINGTON, January 26, 2012) – The American Society of Hematology (ASH), the world's largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatment of blood disorders, today issued a policy statement opposing mandatory screening of athletes for sickle cell trait as a prerequisite to athletic participation and urging athletics programs to adopt universal preventive interventions in their training programs to protect athletes from exertion-related illness and death. ASH's position is in direct contrast to a policy enacted in 2010 by the National Collegiate Athletic ...

Mutated Kras spins a molecular loop that launches pancreatic cancer

Mutated Kras spins a molecular loop that launches pancreatic cancer
2012-01-30
HOUSTON — Scientists have connected two signature characteristics of pancreatic cancer, identifying a self-perpetuating "vicious cycle" of molecular activity and a new potential target for drugs to treat one of the most lehal forms of cancer. The research, reported in the journal Cancer Cell and led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, connected the molecular dots between: Mutated versions of Kras, a gene that acts as a molecular on-off switch but gets stuck in the "on" position when mutated. Heightened activity of a protein complex called ...

Survey suggests family history of psychiatric disorders shapes intellectual interests

2012-01-30
A hallmark of the individual is the cultivation of personal interests, but for some people, their intellectual pursuits might actually be genetically predetermined. Survey results published by Princeton University researchers in the journal PLoS ONE suggest that a family history of psychiatric conditions such as autism and depression could influence the subjects a person finds engaging. Although preliminary, the findings provide a new look at the oft-studied link between psychiatric conditions and aptitude in the arts or sciences. While previous studies have explored ...

Physician's weight may influence obesity diagnosis and care

2012-01-30
A patient's body mass index (BMI) may not be the only factor at play when a physician diagnoses a patient as obese. According to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the diagnosis could also depend on the weight of your physician. Researchers examined the impact of physician BMI on obesity care and found that physicians with a normal BMI, as compared to overweight and obese physicians, were more likely to engage their obese patients in weight loss discussions (30 percent vs. 18 percent) and more likely to diagnose a patient ...

CT scans for dizziness in the ER: Worth the cost?

2012-01-30
DETROIT – Performing CT scans in the emergency department for patients experiencing dizziness may not be worth the expense – an important finding from Henry Ford Hospital researchers as hospitals across the country look for ways to cut costs without sacrificing patient care. According to the Henry Ford study, less than 1 percent of the CT scans performed in the emergency department revealed a more serious underlying cause for dizziness – intracranial bleeding or stroke – that required intervention. The findings suggest that it may be more cost effective for hospitals ...

Radical theory explains the origin, evolution, and nature of life, challenges conventional wisdom

2012-01-30
The earth is alive, asserts a revolutionary scientific theory of life emerging from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The trans-disciplinary theory demonstrates that purportedly inanimate, non-living objects—for example, planets, water, proteins, and DNA—are animate, that is, alive. With its broad explanatory power, applicable to all areas of science and medicine, this novel paradigm aims to catalyze a veritable renaissance. Erik Andrulis, PhD, assistant professor of molecular biology and microbiology, advanced his controversial framework in his manuscript ...

Scientist: Temperate freshwater wetlands are 'forgotten' carbon sinks

2012-01-30
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new study comparing the carbon-holding power of freshwater wetlands has produced measurements suggesting that wetlands in temperate regions are more valuable as carbon sinks than current policies imply, according to researchers. The study compared several wetlands at two Ohio wetland sites: one composed of mostly stagnant water and one characterized by water regularly flowing through it. The study showed that the stagnant wetland had an average carbon storage rate per year that is almost twice as high as the carbon storage rate of the flow-through wetland. In ...

New Queen's University research sheds light on gene destruction linked to aggressive prostate cancer

2012-01-30
Researchers at Queen's University in Kingston, Canada have identified a possible cause for the loss of a tumour suppressor gene (known as PTEN) that can lead to the development of more aggressive forms of prostate cancer. "This discovery gives us a greater understanding of how aggressive prostate cancer develops because we now have some insight into the mechanism by which the PTEN gene is destroyed," says Jeremy Squire, a professor in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine. PTEN is one of a small class of tumor suppressor genes that closely regulates the ...

Does antimatter weigh more than matter?

Does antimatter weigh more than matter?
2012-01-30
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Does antimatter behave differently in gravity than matter? Physicists at the University of California, Riverside have set out to determine the answer. Should they find it, it could explain why the universe seems to have no antimatter and why it is expanding at an ever increasing rate. In the lab, the researchers took the first step towards measuring the free fall of "positronium" – a bound state between a positron and an electron. The positron is the antimatter version of the electron. It has identical mass to the electron, but a positive charge. ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Milky Way-like galaxy M83 consumes high-speed clouds

Study: What we learned from record-breaking 2021 heat wave and what we can expect in the future

Transforming treatment outcomes for people with OCD

Damage from smoke and respiratory viruses mitigated in mice via a common signaling pathway

New software tool could help better understand childhood cancer

Healthy lifestyle linked to lower diverticulitis risk, irrespective of genetic susceptibility

Women 65+ still at heightened risk of cervical cancer caused by HPV

‘Inflammatory’ diet during pregnancy may raise child’s diabetes type 1 risk

Effective therapies needed to halt rise in eco-anxiety, says psychology professor

Nature-friendly farming boosts biodiversity and yields but may require new subsidies

Against the odds: Endometriosis linked to four times higher pregnancy rates than other causes of infertility, new study reveals

Microplastics discovered in human reproductive fluids, new study reveals

Family ties and firm performance: How cousin marriage traditions shape informal businesses in Africa

Novel flu vaccine adjuvant improves protection against influenza viruses, study finds

Manipulation of light at the nanoscale helps advance biosensing

New mechanism discovered in ovarian cancer peritoneal metastasis: YWHAB restriction drives stemness and chemoresistance

New study links blood metabolites and immune cells to increased risk of urolithiasis

Pyruvate identified as a promising therapeutic agent for ulcerative colitis by targeting cytosolic phospholipase A2

New insights into the clinical impact of IKBKG mutations: Understanding the mechanisms behind rare immunodeficiency syndromes

Displays, imaging and sensing: New blue fluorophore breaks efficiency records in both solids and solutions

Sugar, the hidden thermostat in plants

Personality can explain why some CEOs earn higher salaries

This puzzle game shows kids how they’re smarter than AI

Study suggests remembrances of dead played role in rise of architecture in Andean region

Brain stimulation can boost math learning in people with weaker neural connections

Inhibiting enzyme could halt cell death in Parkinson’s disease, study finds

Neurotechnology reverses biological disadvantage in maths learning

UNDER EMBARGO: Neurotechnology reverses biological disadvantage in maths learning

Scientists target ‘molecular machine’ in the war against antimicrobial resistance

Extending classical CNOP method for deep-learning atmospheric and oceanic forecasting

[Press-News.org] Muscling in on MS
Muscle endurance tests can detect abnormalities in the early stages of multiple sclerosis, Tel Aviv University researchers say