Publications by authors named "L Ruggiero"

Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess the prevalence, age distribution, and functional status of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in Italy, highlighting improvements in care recommendations.
  • The survey involved data collection from 31 reference centers across the country, identifying key demographic and functional factors among 972 diagnosed individuals aged 6 months to 48 years.
  • Results showed a prevalence of 1.65/100,000 people, with 43% ambulant and 57% non-ambulant, and most patients did not require significant respiratory or nutritional support.
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Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is caused by the epigenetic de-repression of the double homeobox 4 (DUX4) gene, leading to asymmetric muscle weakness and atrophy that begins in the facial and scapular muscles and progresses to the lower limbs. This incurable condition can severely impair muscle function, ultimately resulting in a loss of ambulation. A thorough analysis of molecular factors associated with the varying degrees of muscle impairment in FSHD is still lacking.

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The removal of skeletal muscle tension (unloading or disuse) is followed by many changes in the neuromuscular system, including muscle atrophy and loss of isometric maximal strength (measured by maximal force, F). Explosive strength, i.e.

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The metabolic cost of steady-state walking is well known; however, across legged animals, most walking bouts are too short to reach steady state. Here, we investigate how bout duration affects the metabolic cost of human walking with varying mechanical power, metabolic intensity and duration. Ten participants walked for 10- to 240-s bouts on a stair climber at 0.

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