Articles: function.
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Observational Study
B-Mode ultrasound assessment of diaphragm structure and function in patients with COPD.
Electromyographic evaluation of diaphragmatic neuromuscular disease in patients with COPD is technically difficult and potentially high risk. Defining standard values for diaphragm thickness and thickening ratio using B-mode ultrasound may provide a simpler, safer means of evaluating these patients. ⋯ In patients with COPD presenting for evaluation of coexisting neuromuscular respiratory weakness, the same values established for healthy control subjects serve as the baseline for comparison. This knowledge expands the role of ultrasound in evaluating neuromuscular disease in patients with COPD.
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Sepsis-induced myopathy and critical illness myopathy (CIM) are possible causes of muscle weakness in intensive care patients. They have been attributed to muscle membrane dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate membrane properties in the early stage of experimental sepsis by evaluating muscle excitability. ⋯ Muscle membrane abnormalities consistent with membrane depolarization and/or sodium channel inactivation occurred within 6 hours of peritonitis induction. This indicates that changes that have been described in established sepsis-induced myopathy and/or CIM start early in the course of sepsis. Muscle excitability testing facilitates evaluation of the time course of these changes.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Aug 2014
ReviewALTERATION IN SYNAPTIC JUNCTION PROTEINS FOLLOWING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
Extensive research and scientific efforts have been focused on the elucidation of the pathobiology of cellular and axonal damage following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Conversely, few studies have specifically addressed the issue of synaptic dysfunction. ⋯ A Synapse Protein Database on synapse ontology identified 109 domains implicated in synaptic activities and over 5000 proteins, but few of these demonstrated to play a role in the synaptic dysfunction after TBI. These proteins are involved in neuroplasticity and neuromodulation and, most importantly, may be used as novel neuronal markers of TBI for specific intervention.