Frequency-dependent effects of superimposed NMES on spinal excitability in upper and lower limb muscles.

Superimposing neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on voluntary contractions has proven to be highly effective for improving muscle strength and performance. These improvements might involve specific adaptations occurring at cortical and spinal level. The effects of NMES on corticospinal activation seem to be frequency dependent and differ between upper and lower limb muscles.

Electrophysiological indexes of the cognitive-motor trade-off associated with motor response complexity in a cognitive task.

Complex actions require more cognitive and motor control than simple ones. Literature shows that to face complexity, the brain must make a compromise between available resources usually giving priority to motor control. However, literature has minimally explored the effect of the motor response complexity on brain processing associated with cognitive tasks.

Concomitant Popliteomeniscal Fascicles Tears Are Found in 21% of Professional Soccer Players With Acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries.

Purpose: To investigate the incidence of popliteomeniscal fascicles (PMF) tears in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture in professional soccer players, to describe arthroscopic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and treatment of these lesions with clinical outcomes, and to evaluate the incidence of subsequent lateral meniscus tears and ACL reinjury.

Methods: ACL reconstructions on soccer players were retrospectively analyzed, and among them, a cohort of patients with PMFs tears was reviewed. The cohort was assessed with MRI examination, arthrometric testing, Lysholm score, and International Knee Documentation Committee score.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of a revised Italian Anterior Knee Pain Scale version.

Background: The study aimed to validate a revised Italian version of the Anterior Knee Pain Scale (AKPS) by addressing shortcomings in previous adaptations and following the COSMIN guidelines to ensure robust psychometric evaluation.

Methods: One hundred thirty patients with anterior knee pain symptoms were recruited, with 65 undergoing a retest after 7 days to assess the scale's reliability. Structural validity was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the scale's dimensionality.

Inflammation: The Beauty or the Beast? Vitamins, Nutritional Supplements, Antioxidant Therapy, and Modulators of Inflammation as Therapeutic Interventions.

The importance of inflammation in disease development is now well known not only for acute states but also for chronic pathologies [...

Macular Alterations in a Cohort of Caucasian Patients Affected by Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Objectives: Our objective was to investigate the prevalence of macular complications detected by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in a large Caucasian cohort of RP patients, highlight the major alterations in chorioretinal structure, and compare the macular structural changes in eyes affected by retinal dystrophies with those in healthy controls.

Methods: This was an observational, retrospective, and cross-sectional study. Three hundred and seven patients with RP were consecutively enrolled and underwent clinical assessment.

Beliefs on the ability to regulate negative emotions mediates the effects of competitive anger on task-focused self-efficacy in taekwondo athletes.

Self-efficacy (SE) refers to an individual's belief in their own ability to successfully execute specific tasks and produce desired outcomes. The focused SE on specific sports tasks has been shown to impact athletic performance by interacting with other self-evaluation processes, like self-efficacy beliefs in emotion-related regulation and effective emotion regulation. This study aims at investigating the mediating effect of SE in regulating negative affect in the relationship between anger and taekwondo task-focused SE.

The role of TandemHeart combined with ProtekDuo as right ventricular support device: A simulation approach.

Background And Objective: Right ventricular failure increases short-term mortality in the setting of acute myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, advanced left-sided heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Percutaneous and surgically implanted right ventricular assist devices (RVAD) have been investigated in different clinical settings. The use of the ProtekDuo™ is currently a promising approach due to its features such as groin-free approach leading to early mobilisation, easy percutaneous deployment, compatibility with different pumps and oxygenators, and adaptability to different configurations.

Autograft Choice and Jumping Performance After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Comparative Study on Professional Athletes.

Background: The extensor apparatus of the knee is of paramount importance in generating the torque needed for a countermovement jump (CMJ), especially in jumping athletes. In anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) procedures, graft harvesting from the extensor apparatus may dramatically affect extensor strength and jumping performance.

Hypothesis: The focused jump training of professional jumping athletes would increase the likelihood of restoring jumping performance after ACLR, despite the graft choice (autologous bone-patellar tendon-bone [BPTB] or hamstring [HS] tendon).

Discipline-specific adaptation patterns in respiratory and lower limb musculotendinous structures: cyclists vs. basketball players.

Background: This study aimed at assessing how chronic exposure to specific exercise training (high-intensity intervals vs. endurance), comparing experienced basketball-players (BP, N.=16), cyclists (CY, N.

Sexual Dimorphism in Sex Hormone Metabolism in Human Skeletal Muscle Cells in Response to Different Testosterone Exposure.

Muscle tissue is an important target of sex steroids, and particularly, testosterone plays essential roles in muscle cell metabolism. Wide ranges of studies have reported sex differences in basal muscle steroidogenesis, and recently several genes have been identified to be regulated by androgen response elements that show innate sex differences in muscle. However, studies accounting for and demonstrating cell sexual dimorphism in vitro are still scarce and not well characterized.

The Emerging Role of Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibition in Neurological Disorders: The State of the Art.

Growing evidence suggests that neuroinflammation is not just a consequence of neurodegeneration in pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but it is rather a determinant factor, which plays a pivotal role in the onset and progression of these disorders. Neuroinflammation can affect cells and processes in the central nervous system (CNS) as well as immune cells, and might precede protein aggregation, which is a hallmark of the neurodegenerative process. Standard treatment methods are far from being able to counteract inflammation and delay neurodegeneration.

Focal Versus Combined Focal Plus Radial Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy: A Retrospective Study.

Lateral epicondylitis of the elbow, commonly known as tennis elbow, is a musculoskeletal disorder characterized by pain and degeneration of the common extensor tendon. Despite various treatments, optimal management remains debated. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of focal extracorporeal shockwave therapy (F-ESWT) alone versus a combination of focal and radial pressure waves (F-ESWT+R-PW) in treating chronic lateral epicondylitis.

Bridging Generations Through Movement: "How and Why" Intergenerational Programs Operate-A Systematic and Narrative Review.

Well-being and social interaction are among the primary goals to be achieved for the elderly. Intergenerational physical activity (PA) has gained increasing attention due to its potential to encourage PA and social interaction, providing both social and physical benefits to both younger and older individuals. This review aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the potential roles of PA in facilitating intergenerational interactions and provide practical insights.

Breath Analysis via Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) in Chronic Coronary Syndrome (CCS): A Proof-of-Concept Study.

This proof-of-concept study aimed to assess the diagnostic potential of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in profiling volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from exhaled breath as a diagnostic tool for the chronic coronary syndrome (CCS). Exhaled air was collected from patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography (ICA), with all samples obtained prior to ICA. Post hoc, patients were divided into groups based on coronary lesion severity and indications for revascularization.