The Effects of Wearing a Medical Mask on the Masticatory and Neck Muscle Activity in Healthy Young Women

The objective of this study was to analyze the influence of wearing a medical mask on masticatory and neck muscle activity in healthy young women. We recruited 66 healthy women aged from 18 to 30 years (mean 23.6 ± 2.3 years). The temporalis anterior (TA), the superficial part of the masseter muscle (MM), the anterior bellies of the digastric muscle (DA), and the middle part of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) potentials were recorded at rest and during functional activity using an eight-channel device for surface electromyography—BioEMG IIITM. There was a statistically significant decrease in mean TA activity during medical mask measurement compared to no mask examination at rest (2.16 µV vs. 2.58 µV; p = 0.05; ES = 0.2). Significant decreases in resting RMS values were also observed during the medical mask phase in comparison to no mask examination concerning the left MM (1.75 µV vs. 2.17 µV; p = 0.01; ES = 0.3), and mean bioelectrical activity of the MM (1.81 µV vs. 2.15 µV; p = 0.02; ES = 0.2). The differences between the two conditions did not reach the assumed significance level (p > 0.05) in terms of other indices. Wearing a medical mask has a small effect on decreasing the resting potentials of the temporalis anterior and masseter muscles without changing the parameters of activity and asymmetry within the stomatognathic system.

Mengenal Lebih Dekat Dampak Aktivitas Work from Home (WFH) dan Neck Pain di Masa Pandemi

Since the pandemic, all countries have implemented Work From Home (WFH) policies, which are new policies that utilize the virtual world. As for the negative effects that can be given from WFH, such as the occurrence of Neck Pain. Neck Pain is pain in the cervical spine from the superior line of the first thoracic spinous nuchal process. Reported cases of neck pain in office workers as much as 15% to 34.4%. Source searches were carried out on the online portal of journal publications as many as 27 sources from Medscape, Google Scholar, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) with the keywords WFH and Neck Pain. Sitting in a chair or bed without a table while working on a computer or laptop can cause neck pain and the upper or lower back area. When fatigue occurs in the neck muscles, it can cause static muscle contractions that last a long time, if this condition occurs continuously there will be pain and discomfort in the neck muscle area which can eventually lead to disability. In this study, the author uses a qualitative method with a literature review research paradigm. Qualitative research methods are carried out in natural conditions and carried out on direct data sources. The purpose of the qualitative method is to gain an understanding of the meaning of the problem to be studied.

Transection of the Common Carotid and Vertebral Arteries Following a Penetrating Neck Injury

A case of a 30-year-old man who was admitted following a penetrating neck injury is presented. A clinical examination and operative findings identified semi-comatose mentality, neck muscle laceration, and transection of the left common carotid and vertebral arteries and the internal jugular vein. During the operation, the carotid arteries were repaired by interposition grafting, and the internal jugular vein was ligated. The vertebral artery was managed by interventional embolization. Although the patient had some neurological deficit, he was discharged on postoperative Day 52. This surgical case prompted a discussion regarding neurological outcomes, and surgical and endovascular treatment following vascular neck injury.

Deep learning-based quantification of temporalis muscle has prognostic value in patients with glioblastoma

Background Glioblastoma is the commonest malignant brain tumour. Sarcopenia is associated with worse cancer survival, but manually quantifying muscle on imaging is time-consuming. We present a deep learning-based system for quantification of temporalis muscle, a surrogate for skeletal muscle mass, and assess its prognostic value in glioblastoma. Methods A neural network for temporalis segmentation was trained with 366 MRI head images from 132 patients from 4 different glioblastoma data sets and used to quantify muscle cross-sectional area (CSA). Association between temporalis CSA and survival was determined in 96 glioblastoma patients from internal and external data sets. Results The model achieved high segmentation accuracy (Dice coefficient 0.893). Median age was 55 and 58 years and 75.6 and 64.7% were males in the in-house and TCGA-GBM data sets, respectively. CSA was an independently significant predictor for survival in both the in-house and TCGA-GBM data sets (HR 0.464, 95% CI 0.218–0.988, p = 0.046; HR 0.466, 95% CI 0.235–0.925, p = 0.029, respectively). Conclusions Temporalis CSA is a prognostic marker in patients with glioblastoma, rapidly and accurately assessable with deep learning. We are the first to show that a head/neck muscle-derived sarcopenia metric generated using deep learning is associated with oncological outcomes and one of the first to show deep learning-based muscle quantification has prognostic value in cancer.

Myofascial Treatment for Microcirculation in Patients with Postural Neck and Shoulder Pain

Vascular impairment is a crucial factor associated with chronic muscle pain, but relevant research from the microcirculatory aspect is lacking. Here, we investigated the differences in neck muscle microcirculation detected through laser-doppler flowmetry (LDF) and cervical biomechanics by a videofluoroscopic image in asymptomatic participants and patients with postural neck and shoulder pain. To understand the mechanism behind the effect of myofascial treatment, transverse friction massage (TFM) was applied and the immediate effects of muscular intervention on microcirculation were monitored. In total, 16 asymptomatic participants and 22 patients (mean age = 26.3 ± 2.4 and 25.4 ± 3.2 years, respectively) were recruited. Their neck muscle microcirculation and spinal image sequence were assessed. The differences in the baseline blood flow between the asymptomatic and patient groups were nonsignificant. However, the standard deviations in the measurements of the upper trapezius muscle in the patients were significantly larger (p < 0.05). Regarding the TFM-induced responses of skin microcirculation, the blood flow ratio was significantly higher in the patients than in the asymptomatic participants (p < 0.05). In conclusion, postintervention hyperemia determined through noninvasive LDF may be an indicator for the understanding of the mechanism underlying massage therapies and the design of interventions for postural pain.

Effects of different methods of physiotherapy in individuals with cervicogenic headaches

Objective. To assess the effects of different physiotherapy methods in individuals with cervicogenic headache. Methods. 20 subjects with cervicogenic headaches have been studied. Subjects were randomized to two groups of 10 subjects. The first group of subjects underwent physiotherapy with post – isometric relaxation, the second group – physiotherapy in combination with vibration. Before and after the interventions, pain intensity, neck disability index, active cervical range of motion and neck muscle strength were evaluated in all subjects. Results. Physiotherapy reduces the intensity of pain (from strong and very strong to moderate intensity), improves neck function (from severe to moderate disability), increases active cervical range of motion by four to six degrees and increases neck muscle strength (p < 0,05). When comparing results between groups, no statistically significant difference in results were observed (p > 0,05). Conclusion: Complex physiotherapy in combination with post – isometric relaxation or vibration helps to improve the function of individual neck, increase active cervical range of motion and strength of muscle strength.

Ultrasonography Method of Deep Cervical Muscles and Thickness Measurement Reliability in Cervicogenic Headache and Healthy Subjects:APilot Study

Introduction: In Cervicogenic Headache (CGH), motor control of muscles is impaired and deep upper neck muscles (extensor and flexor muscles) become atrophied. In this research, thickness measurement of Longus Capitis (LCap), Rectus Capitis Posterior Major (RCPM), and Obliquus Capitis Superior (OCS) muscles were conducted and intra-rater reliability of the thickness measurement of these muscles was assessed in CGH and healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: Twenty subjects, including 10 healthy subjects (19-32 years old) and 10 CGH patients (20-35 years old) participated in this study. LCap thickness was measured at the level of C3-C4 in the supine position and posterior muscles (RCPM and OCS) thickness at the C1-C2 level in the sitting position. All ultrasound images were captured by a linear probe with a 50-mm footprint in B mode option and frequency range of 9-12 Hz. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC), Standard Error Of Measurement (SEM), and the Smallest Detectable Difference (SDD) were calculated for data analysis. Results: The ICC for thickness measurement of LCap was from 0.70 to 0.91 (good to excellent), for RCPM thickness was from 0.69 to 0.94 and for OCS muscle thickness was from 0.87 to 0.98. SEM values for LCap were between 0.08 and 0.25 and the SDD values between 0.22 and 0.71. SEM values for RCPM were between 0.22 and 0.43 and these values were reported for OCS muscle between 0.19 and 0.45. Conclusion: The results indicated that the presented position and the level of ultrasonography in this study are appropriate and ultrasound is a reliable tool to measure the deep upper neck muscle thickness in CGH and healthy subjects.

Effect of Neck Muscle Fatigue on Hand Muscle Motor Performance and Early Somatosensory Evoked Potentials

Even on pain free days, recurrent neck pain alters sensorimotor integration (SMI) measured via somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs). Neck muscle fatigue decreases upper limb proprioception, and thus may interfere with upper limb motor task acquisition and SMI. This study aimed to determine the effect of cervical extensor muscle (CEM) fatigue on upper limb motor acquisition and retention; and SMI, measured via early SEPs. Twenty-four healthy right-handed individuals were randomly assigned to control or CEM fatigue. Baseline SEPs were elicited via median nerve stimulation at the wrist. Participants then lay prone on a padded table. The fatigue group supported a 2 kg weight until they could no longer maintain the position. The control group rested their neck in neutral for 5 min. Participants completed pre- and post-motor skill acquisition while seated, SEPs were again collected. Task retention was measured 24 h later. Accuracy improved post acquisition and at retention for both groups (p < 0.001), with controls outperforming the fatigue group (p < 0.05). The fatigue group had significantly greater increases in the N24 (p = 0.017) and N30 (p = 0.007) SEP peaks. CEM fatigue impaired upper limb motor learning outcomes in conjunction with differential changes in SEP peak amplitudes related to SMI.

Associations of neck muscle strength and cervical spine mobility with future neck pain and disability: a prospective 16-year study

Background Neck pain has been associated with weaker neck muscle strength and decreased cervical spine range of motion. However, whether neck muscle strength or cervical spine mobility predict later neck disability has not been demonstrated. In this 16-year prospective study, we investigated whether neck muscle strength and cervical spine mobility are associated with future neck pain and related disability in women pain-free at baseline. Methods Maximal isometric neck muscle strength and passive range of motion (PROM) of the cervical spine of 220 women (mean age 40, standard deviation (SD) 12 years) were measured at baseline between 2000 and 2002. We conducted a postal survey 16 years later to determine whether any subjects had experienced neck pain and related disability. Linear regression analysis adjusted for age and body mass index was used to determine to what extent baseline neck strength and PROM values were associated with future neck pain and related disability assessed using the Neck Disability Index (NDI). Results The regression analysis Beta coefficient remained below 0.1 for all the neck strength and PROM values, indicating no association between neck pain and related disability. Of the 149 (68%) responders, mean NDI was lowest (3.3, SD 3.8) in participants who had experienced no neck pain (n = 50), second lowest (7.7, SD 7.1) in those who had experienced occasional neck pain (n = 94), and highest (19.6, SD 22.0) in those who had experienced chronic neck pain (n = 5). Conclusions This 16-year prospective study found no evidence for an association between either neck muscle strength or mobility and the occurrence in later life of neck pain and disability. Therefore, screening healthy subjects for weaker neck muscle strength or poorer cervical spine mobility cannot be recommended for preventive purposes.