Electrical stimulation counteracts muscle atrophy associated with aging in humans


Submitted: 25 June 2013
Accepted: 25 June 2013
Published: 25 July 2013
Abstract Views: 2724
PDF: 1447
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Authors

  • Helmut Kern Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, .
  • Stefan Loefler Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Electrical Stimulation and Physical Rehabilitation, Vienna, Austria, .
  • Samantha Burggraf Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Electrical Stimulation and Physical Rehabilitation, Vienna, Austria, .
  • Hannah Fruhmann Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Electrical Stimulation and Physical Rehabilitation, Vienna, Austria, .
  • Jan Cvecka Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia, .
  • Milan Sedliak Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia, .
  • Laura Barberi DAHFMO-Unit of Histology and Medical Embryology, IIM, La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, .
  • Manuela De Rossi DAHFMO-Unit of Histology and Medical Embryology, IIM, La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, .
  • Antonio Musarò DAHFMO-Unit of Histology and Medical Embryology, IIM, La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, .
  • Ugo Carraro Laboratory of Translation Myology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy, .
  • Simone Mosole Laboratory of Translation Myology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy, .
  • Sandra Zampieri Laboratory of Translation Myology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy, .
Functional and structural muscle decline is a major problem during aging. Our goal was to improve in old subjects quadriceps m. force and mobility functional performances (stair test, chair rise test, timed up and go test) with neuromuscular electrical stimulation (9 weeks, 2-3times/week, 20-30 minutes per session). Furthermore we performed histological and biological molecular analyses of vastus lateralis m. biopsies. Our findings demonstrate that electrical stimulation significantly improved mobility functional performancies and muscle histological characteristics and molecular markers.

Kern, H., Loefler, S., Burggraf, S., Fruhmann, H., Cvecka, J., Sedliak, M., Barberi, L., De Rossi, M., Musarò, A., Carraro, U., Mosole, S., & Zampieri, S. (2013). Electrical stimulation counteracts muscle atrophy associated with aging in humans. European Journal of Translational Myology, 23(3), 105–108. https://doi.org/10.4081/ejtm.2013.1780

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