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Superimposed electrical stimulation - Assessment of voluntary activation and perceived discomfort in healthy, moderately active older and younger women and men

Miller, Michael ; Flansbjer, Ulla-Britt LU ; Downham, David and Lexell, Jan LU (2006) In American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 85(12). p.945-950
Abstract
Objective: An inability of the nervous system to fully activate the muscle is one factor that can contribute to age-related muscle weakness. Superimposed electrical stimulation can be used to determine voluntary muscle activation (VA). The aim of this study was to assess VA of the quadriceps muscle in healthy older and younger subjects. Design: Electrical stimulation causes moderate discomfort in younger subjects, but no study has assessed discomfort in older subjects. The quadriceps muscle In 20 moderately active older subjects (mean age, 75 yrs) and 12 younger subjects (mean age, 25 yrs) was stimulated during two maximal voluntary contractions using a 100-Hz pulse train. A visual analog scale for pain (VAS-pain) was used to evaluate... (More)
Objective: An inability of the nervous system to fully activate the muscle is one factor that can contribute to age-related muscle weakness. Superimposed electrical stimulation can be used to determine voluntary muscle activation (VA). The aim of this study was to assess VA of the quadriceps muscle in healthy older and younger subjects. Design: Electrical stimulation causes moderate discomfort in younger subjects, but no study has assessed discomfort in older subjects. The quadriceps muscle In 20 moderately active older subjects (mean age, 75 yrs) and 12 younger subjects (mean age, 25 yrs) was stimulated during two maximal voluntary contractions using a 100-Hz pulse train. A visual analog scale for pain (VAS-pain) was used to evaluate discomfort. Results: Ability to activate the quadriceps muscle was generally very high, and there was no significant difference between the older (mean, 0.96) and younger (mean, 0.98) subjects. Discomfort did not differ between the older (mean VAS-pain score, 41 mm) and younger (mean VAS-pain score, 37 mm) subjects. Conclusions: Our results indicate that healthy, moderately active older subjects have the ability to almost complete VA of the quadriceps muscle and that discomfort during electrical stimulation is generally moderate. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
electric stimulation, pain measurement, motor neurons, quadriceps, torque, muscle
in
American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
volume
85
issue
12
pages
945 - 950
publisher
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
external identifiers
  • wos:000242465900002
  • scopus:33751207691
  • pmid:17116999
ISSN
1537-7385
DOI
10.1097/01.phm.0000247648.62957.19
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7bd69b72-8fa5-4461-a4db-e045a04c03d3 (old id 685383)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:55:34
date last changed
2022-01-28 23:06:38
@article{7bd69b72-8fa5-4461-a4db-e045a04c03d3,
  abstract     = {{Objective: An inability of the nervous system to fully activate the muscle is one factor that can contribute to age-related muscle weakness. Superimposed electrical stimulation can be used to determine voluntary muscle activation (VA). The aim of this study was to assess VA of the quadriceps muscle in healthy older and younger subjects. Design: Electrical stimulation causes moderate discomfort in younger subjects, but no study has assessed discomfort in older subjects. The quadriceps muscle In 20 moderately active older subjects (mean age, 75 yrs) and 12 younger subjects (mean age, 25 yrs) was stimulated during two maximal voluntary contractions using a 100-Hz pulse train. A visual analog scale for pain (VAS-pain) was used to evaluate discomfort. Results: Ability to activate the quadriceps muscle was generally very high, and there was no significant difference between the older (mean, 0.96) and younger (mean, 0.98) subjects. Discomfort did not differ between the older (mean VAS-pain score, 41 mm) and younger (mean VAS-pain score, 37 mm) subjects. Conclusions: Our results indicate that healthy, moderately active older subjects have the ability to almost complete VA of the quadriceps muscle and that discomfort during electrical stimulation is generally moderate.}},
  author       = {{Miller, Michael and Flansbjer, Ulla-Britt and Downham, David and Lexell, Jan}},
  issn         = {{1537-7385}},
  keywords     = {{electric stimulation; pain measurement; motor neurons; quadriceps; torque; muscle}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{945--950}},
  publisher    = {{Lippincott Williams & Wilkins}},
  series       = {{American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation}},
  title        = {{Superimposed electrical stimulation - Assessment of voluntary activation and perceived discomfort in healthy, moderately active older and younger women and men}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.phm.0000247648.62957.19}},
  doi          = {{10.1097/01.phm.0000247648.62957.19}},
  volume       = {{85}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}