Validity and Reliability of an Offline Ultrasound Measurement of Bladder Base Displacement in Women.

The effect of different exercises on the position of pelvic organs in women has not been sufficiently assessed. The objective was to analyze the validity and reliability of a new two-dimensional ultrasound algorithm to measure offline the displacement of the bladder base during abdominal exercises. This algorithm could be a useful method to future studies in determine the most appropriate exercises in sports and in rehabilitative program for the pelvic floor in women.

Exploring the role of the left DLPFC in fatigue during unresisted rhythmic movements.

Understanding central fatigue during motor activities is important in neuroscience and different medical fields. The central mechanisms of motor fatigue are known in depth for isometric muscle contractions; however, current knowledge about rhythmic movements and central fatigue is rather scarce. In this study, we explored the role of an executive area (left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [DLPFC]) in fatigue development during rhythmic movement execution, finger tapping (FT) at the maximal rate, and fatigue after effects on the stability of rhythmic patterns.

Peripheral-central interplay for fatiguing unresisted repetitive movements: a study using muscle ischaemia and M1 neuromodulation.

Maximal-rate rhythmic repetitive movements cannot be sustained for very long, even if unresisted. Peripheral and central mechanisms of fatigue, such as the slowing of muscle relaxation and an increase in M1-GABA inhibition, act alongside the reduction of maximal execution rates. However, maximal muscle force appears unaffected, and it is unknown whether the increased excitability of M1 GABAergic interneurons is an adaptation to the waning of muscle contractility in these movements.

Effect of stimulation timing on testing voluntary muscle force generation.

Background: The interpolated twitch technique (ITT) is a ubiquitous test for assessing the level of voluntary muscle force generation, in which muscle twitches are evoked via percutaneous electrical stimulation. Traditionally, the stimulation timing during the ITT is not computer-controlled and usually delivered from 5 to 10 s after the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of the potentiated muscle.

Methods: In this work, we evaluated the sizes of the evoked twitches in the lower limb with different controlled stimulation time delays with respect to the MVC of the ankle plantar flexors.

Temporal dynamics of muscle, spinal and cortical excitability and their association with kinematics during three minutes of maximal-rate finger tapping.

We tested peripheral, spinal and cortical excitability during 3 minutes of unresisted finger tapping at the maximal possible rate, which induced fatigue. Subsequently, we studied the temporal dynamics of muscle fatigue, expressed in the tapping movement profile, and its relationship to neural systems using mixed model analyses. The tapping rate decreased by 40% over the duration of the task.

Age-Induced Differential Changes in the Central and Colonic Human Circadian Oscillators.

Aging modifies not only multiple cellular and homeostatic systems, but also biological rhythms. The circadian system is driven by a central hypothalamic oscillator which entrains peripheral oscillators, in both cases underlain by circadian genes. Our aim was to characterize the effect of aging in the circadian expression of clock genes in the human colon.

Publisher Correction: Effects of a Finger Tapping Fatiguing Task on M1-Intracortical Inhibition and Central Drive to the Muscle.

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.

Effects of a Finger Tapping Fatiguing Task on M1-Intracortical Inhibition and Central Drive to the Muscle.

The central drive to the muscle reduces when muscle force wanes during sustained MVC, and this is generally considered the neurophysiological footprint of central fatigue. The question is if force loss and the failure of central drive to the muscle are responsible mechanisms of fatigue induced by un-resisted repetitive movements. In various experimental blocks, we validated a 3D-printed hand-fixation system permitting the execution of finger-tapping and maximal voluntary contractions (MVC).

The effectiveness of excimer laser angioplasty to treat coronary in-stent restenosis with peri-stent calcium as assessed by optical coherence tomography.

Aims: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) to treat in-stent restenosis (ISR) due to peri-stent calcium-related stent underexpansion as assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Methods And Results: We studied 81 patients (81 lesions with ISR, stent underexpansion, and peri-stent calcium >90°) who underwent OCT imaging both pre and post percutaneous coronary intervention and compared lesions treated with ELCA (n=23) vs. without ELCA (n=58).

Stroke prevention strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart valve abnormalities: perceptions of 'valvular' atrial fibrillation: results of the European Heart Rhythm Association Survey.

The purpose of this European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) Survey was to assess the perceptions of 'valvular' atrial fibrillation (AF) and management of AF patients with various heart valve abnormalities in daily clinical practice in European electrophysiology (EP) centres. Questionnaire survey was sent via the Internet to the EHRA-EP Research Network Centres. Of the 52 responding centres, 42 (80.

Differential responses of spinal motoneurons to fatigue induced by short-lasting repetitive and isometric tasks.

Compared to isometric activities, the neural basis of fatigue induced by repetitive tasks has been scarcely studied. Recently, we showed that during short-lasting repetitive tasks at the maximal possible rate (finger tapping for 10 and 30s), tapping rate and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force decrease at the end of finger tapping. We also observed larger silent periods (SP) induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation during MVC post finger tapping.

Implantation of subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillators in Europe: results of the European Heart Rhythm Association survey.

Aims: The purpose of this European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) survey is to provide an overview of the current use of subcutaneous cardioverter defibrillators (S-ICDs) across a broad range of European centres.

Methods And Results: A questionnaire was sent via the internet to centres participating in the EHRA electrophysiology research network. Questions included standards of care and policies used for patient management, indications, and techniques of implantation of the S-ICDs.

Bilateral tDCS on Primary Motor Cortex: Effects on Fast Arm Reaching Tasks.

Background: The effects produced by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the motor system have been widely studied in the past, chiefly focused on primary motor cortex (M1) excitability. However, the effects on functional tasks are less well documented.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effect of tDCS-M1 on goal-oriented actions (i.

The role of the Arrhythmia Team, an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to treatment of patients with cardiac arrhythmias: results of the European Heart Rhythm Association survey.

Management of patients with cardiac arrhythmias is increasingly complex because of continuous technological advance and multifaceted clinical conditions associated with ageing of the population, the presence of co-morbidities and the need for polypharmacy. The aim of this European Heart Rhythm Association Scientific Initiatives Committee survey was to provide an insight into the role of the Arrhythmia Team, an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to management of patients with cardiac arrhythmias. Forty-eight centres from 18 European countries replied to the Web-based questionnaire.

How are patients with atrial fibrillation approached and informed about their risk profile and available therapies in Europe? Results of the European Heart Rhythm Association Survey.

This European Heart Rhythm (EHRA) Scientific Initiatives Committee EP Wire Survey aimed at exploring the common practices in approaching patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and informing them about their risk profiles and available therapies in Europe. In the majority of 53 responding centres, patients were seen by cardiologists (86.8%) or arrhythmologists (64.

Diagnosis and management of patients with inherited arrhythmia syndromes in Europe: results of the European Heart Rhythm Association Survey.

Inherited arrhythmia disorders associated with structurally normal heart (i.e. long and short QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, early repolarization syndrome, idiopathic ventricular fibrillation) cause 10% of 1.

Current investigation and management of patients with syncope: results of the European Heart Rhythm Association survey.

The aim of this European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) survey was to provide an insight into the current practice of work-up and management of patients with syncope among members of the EHRA electrophysiology research network. Responses were received from 43 centres. The majority of respondents (74%) had no specific syncope unit and only 42% used a standardized assessment protocol or algorithm.

Health-related quality of life in different clinical subgroups with typical AFL who have undergone cavo-tricuspid isthmus ablation.

Background: To evaluate changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in different sub-groups of a cohort of patients with typical atrial flutter (AFL) treated with cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) radiofrequency catheter ablation.

Methods: 95 consecutive patients due to undergo CTI ablation were enrolled in a study involving their completion of two SF-36 HRQOL questionnaires, before ablation and at one-year follow-up.

Results: 88 of the initial 95 patients finished the study.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation. Is it mandatory to ablate the atrioventricular junction to obtain a good response?

Aim: Current guidelines recommend atrioventricular junction (AVJ) ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Our study compared the CRT response of patients in sinus rhythm (SR) vs. AF.

Treating persistent nausea of pregnancy with hypnosis: four cases.

Persistent nausea of pregnancy is often caused by some unresolved emotional or psychological issue that can be rapidly resolved through hypnosis. Four cases of women who were nauseated throughout their pregnancy were treated with a brief form of hypnosis that used a psychodynamic investigation of the cause of the problem. David Cheek's ideomotor questioning was used to discover the reason for the disturbance; once uncovered, the solution was obvious and quick.

All cardiac right ventricular outpouches are not created equal.

Congenital right ventricular diverticula and aneurysms are rare. Clinically, a diverticulum is difficult to distinguish from an aneurysm. Four diverse right ventricular cameral defects or right ventricular outpouches (RVOs) are described together with the management of each.

Direct thrombin inhibition appears to be a safe and effective anticoagulant for percutaneous bypass graft interventions.

Background: Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) of coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) are associated with worse outcomes compared with those of native coronary PCI. Little is known concerning the use of direct thrombin inhibition during CABG intervention. The objective of this report is to examine the safety and efficacy of bivalirudin with GPIIb/IIIa blockade inhibition in patients undergoing CABG PCI.