Is body mass index (BMI) or body adiposity index (BAI) a better indicator to estimate body fat and selected cardiometabolic risk factors in adults with intellectual disabilities?

Background The BMI index cannot always be used in people with intellectual disabilities due to neuromuscular coordination disorders and psychological barriers that may hinder conventional body weight measurement. The study aimed to assess the usefulness of BMI and BAI in estimating obesity and body fat in people with intellectual disabilities. Methods The first stage of the research involved 161 people with profound intellectual disabilities. Somatic parameters (BM, BH, WC, HC) were measured and BMI, BAI, WHR were calculated. Fifty seven persons with above-normal BMI and BAI were included in the second stage of the study and biochemical parameters were determined (TC, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, TG, GL). Results According to both BMI and BAI classifications, most people were overweight or obese. A high correlation of %BF with BMI and BAI indices was observed (r = 0.78). The sensitivity of both indices was 95.65%. In groups with above-normal BMI and BAI, an upward trend was found for mean values of TC, LDL, TG, and GL, with a simultaneous downward trend for HDL. Statistically significant intergroup differences were recorded for TG and GL (p < 0.05) for both indices (BMI and BAI). Conclusions Our research demonstrated that BAI is complementary to BMI and can be recommended for the estimation of body fat and cardiometabolic risks in people with intellectual disabilities. Due to the ease of measurement, BAI has high utility value.

The Neuromuscular Characteristics of Gymnasts’ Jumps and Landings at Particular Stages of Sports Training

Safe and proper landings are crucial elements of gymnastics events. Long-term training leads to specific neuromuscular adaptations which are yet to be explored in terms of gymnastic landings. The aim of the study was to assess differences in landings’ neuromuscular characteristics between gymnasts at three subsequent gymnastic training stages and age-matched non-athletes. Forty-six gymnasts (G) and 58 controls (C) performed countermovement jumps on a force plate with simultaneous surface electromyography (SEMG) of lower body muscles, measured during the pre-(100 ms) and post-landing phase (0-100 and 0-200 ms). Three age groups participated in the study: 8–10 (G1, C1), 12–14 (G2, C2), 18–25 (G3, C3) years. Analysis included the normalized root mean square (NRMS) SEMG signal and ground reaction forces (GRFs). Gymnasts achieved 13% higher values (p = 0.04) of relative peak GRFs in comparison with controls. It was especially seen in 8–10-year-olds: G1 presented 33% higher (p = 0.03) results than C1 and G2. In SEMG analysis, gymnasts showed overall lower NRMS values in comparison with the controls. In the pre-landing phase, the NRMS in the rectus femoris was from 1.6 up to 3.4 times higher for C1 (p = 0.02) than for C2, G2, C3, and G3. Gymnasts across subsequent training stages exhibit different patterns of neuromuscular coordination during landings. The highest GRF observed in the youngest gymnasts may be a potential risk factor of injuries. Therefore, further injury-focused investigation is recommended to monitor landing strategies among gymnasts of different stages with particular emphasis on the beginners.

Development of a Musculoskeletal Model of Hyolaryngeal Elements for Understanding Pharyngeal Swallowing Mechanics

A detailed understanding of muscle activity in human swallowing would provide insights into the complex neuromuscular coordination underlying swallowing. The purpose of this study was to introduce musculoskeletal analysis to investigate muscle activities involved in swallowing as there are limitations on studying comprehensive muscle activation patterns by conventional methods such as electromyography (EMG) measurement. A musculoskeletal model of swallowing was newly developed based on the skeletal model made from CT data of a healthy volunteer. Individual muscle forces were predicted in pharyngeal swallowing by inverse dynamics’ computations with static optimization, in which the typical trajectories of the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage analyzed from videofluoroscopic (VF) data of the volunteer were used. The results identified the contribution of individual muscles in pharyngeal swallowing in relation to the movements of the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage. The predicted sequence of muscle activity showed a qualitative agreement with salient features in previous studies with fine wire EMG measurements. This method, if validated further by imaging and EMG studies, enables studying a broader range of neuromuscular coordination in swallowing. The proposed method offers an avenue to understanding the physiological mechanisms of swallowing and could become useful to evaluate rehabilitation effects on dysphagia.

Electromyographic study of neuromuscular coordination of chewing muscular at the stages of protetic treatment

The study of masticatory muscles allows timely detection of changes in their functional state, as well as to identify borderline pathological processes that can lead to the development of morphological and functional disorders in the maxillofacial region. This work was carried out in order to determine changes in the functional state of the masticatory muscles in patients with de-fects in the dentition in the lateral region before and after the orthopedic treatment. To achieve this goal, an electromyographic study of the masticatory muscles was performed in 95 patients with uni-lateral and bilateral defects of the dentition in the lateral region before and after restoration of the occlusal relationship of the dentition. As a result of the examination, pronounced malfunctions of the masticatory muscles were revealed in patients with defects in the dentition. After orthopedic treatment, a restoration of the balanced functioning of the muscular system of the maxillofacial re-gion was noted.

Involvement of the Benzodiazepine Site in the Anticonvulsant Activity of Tapinanthus globiferus against Pentylenetetrazole-induced Seizures in Mice

Tapinanthus globiferus is often referred to as an all-purpose herb for the treatment of stroke and epilepsy. The present study investigates the anticonvulsant effect of methanolic leaf extract, active fractions, and lupeol (isolate) of Tapinanthus globiferus in mice as well as the underlying mechanisms. Following phytochemical studies of T. globiferus, preliminary assays were performed to evaluate MLE-induced toxic effect and behavioral changes. The pentylenetetrazol (70 mg/kg, i. p.)-induced seizure was evaluated in mice that were pretreated orally with vehicle 10 mL/kg, MLE (4, 20, or 100 mg/kg), fractions (F1 to F6), lupeol 10 mg/kg or diazepam (3 mg/kg). Methanolic leaf extract preserved neuron viability as well as the relative organ weight, and hematological and biochemical parameters. The behavioral endpoints, neuromuscular coordination, and sensory response parameters revealed a dose-dependent effect of methanolic leaf extract. This extract, active fractions, lupeol, and diazepam potentiated the hypno-sedative effect of the barbiturate and attenuated PTZ-induced acute seizure. This antiseizure effect was completely reversed by flumazenil 2 mg/kg (benzodiazepine site antagonist). Altogether, the benzodiazepine site-mediated anticonvulsant effects of methanolic leaf extract, active fractions, and lupeol corroborate traditional application of T. globiferus against epilepsy.

Exploring Factors Influencing Complete Denture Management of Patient with Myasthenia Gravis

SummaryBackground/Aim: The purpose of this literature review and case report was to highlight the oral symptoms and the pathophysiology of Myasthenia Gravis (MG). MG is an autoimmune, antibody-mediated neuromuscular disorder. It is characterized by fluctuating fatigability and weakness affecting ocular, bulbar and (proximal) limb skeletal muscles.Case report: The case of an edentulous 72-year-old female patient with MG, and in need of removable prostheses was reported. The dental management of a complete denture wearer with MG required special attention and treatment protocols, as described in the present case report.Conclusions: Dental treatment, especially complete denture rehabilitation, of patients diagnosed with MG presents a challenge to the oral health care provider. Clinicians must be aware of the patients’ health status in order to preserve their natural dentition. Implant-supported overdentures must be the treatment of choice in cases of edentulism coupled with MG. In cases where a complete denture is the treatment option, the prosthesis should be placed in the zone of minimum conflict (neutral zone) for optimal neuromuscular coordination.