Canmentalexercisepreventunusedmusclesfromgettingweaker? Patientswhoareunabletousetheirmusclesforextendedperiodsoftime-suchasthosewhohavesufferedastroke-oftenexperienceweakenedmusclesfromlackofuse.Butnow,anewstudysuggeststhatperformingmentalimageryexercisescanpreventtheunusedmusclesfromgettingweaker. Patientsundergoingneurorehabilitation-suchasthosewhohaveexperiencedastroke-maybenefitfrommentalimageryexercisetopreventweaknessinunusedmuscles,accordingtothelateststudy. Theresearchers,fromtheOhioUniversityHeritageCollegeofOsteopathicMedicine,publishtheirfindingsintheJournalofNeurophysiology. Usingmentalimageryforphysicalperformanceisnotnecessarilyanewconcept;professionalathletesoftenusesuchtechniquestoimprovetheirathleticperformance.However,theteamsaystheirsisthefirststudytodemonstratethatimagerycanstoporslowmusclestrengthlossafterlongperiodsofdisuse. Thefindingshaveimplicationsforindividualsundergoingneurorehabilitationandprovideamajorbreakthroughforscientists,inthattheyoffernewevidenceabouthowthenervoussystemaffectsmuscleweakness. Thoughmedicalscientistshaveknownthatthebrainscortexcoordinatesandcontrolsmusclemovement,untilnow,thelinkbetweenthecortexandmusclestrengthhasbeenupfordebate. Wewantedtoteaseouttheunderlyingphysiologybetweenthenervoussystemandmusclestobetterunderstandthebrainsroleinmuscleweakness,saysProf.BrianClark,studyauthoranddirectoroftheOhioMusculoskeletalandNeurologicalInstitute. Hereferstomusclesasthenervoussystemspuppets,withthebrainactingasthestringpromptingthemusclestomove. Findingsunveilimportanceofbraininregulatingmusclestrength Toconducttheirstudy,theteamhadagroupofhealthyindividualsundergo4weeksofwrist-handimmobilization-achievedbywearingacast-toencouragemuscleweakness.Meanwhile,anothergroupalsounderwent4weeksofimmobilization,buttheyperformedmentalimageryofstrongmusclecontractions5daysperweek. Inaddition,acontrolgroupunderwentnointerventions.MedicalNewsTodaydidnothaveaccesstothenumberoftotalsubjectswhoparticipatedinthestudy.Before,immediatelyafterand1weekfollowingtheimmobilizationinterventions,theresearchersmeasuredwristflexorstrength. Asthefirstgroupimaginedcontractingtheirmusclesandflexingtheirwrist,theresearchersrecordedtheirmuscleactivityusinganelectromyogram(EMG). Overall,theresultsshowedthatthementalimagerytrainingattenuatedthelossofstrength.Explainingtheirfindingsfurther,Prof.Clarksays: Whatourstudysuggestsisthatimageryexercisescouldbeavaluabletooltopreventorslowmusclesfrombe太原治疗白癜风医院治白癜风太原哪家医院好
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