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Electromechanical delays during a fatiguing exercise and recovery in patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1

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Abstract

Purpose

The partitioning of the electromechanical delay by an electromyographic (EMG), mechanomyographic (MMG) and force combined approach can provide further insight into the electrochemical and mechanical processes involved with skeletal muscle contraction and relaxation. The aim of the study was to monitor by this combined approach the changes in delays’ electrochemical and mechanical components throughout a fatiguing task and during recovery in patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), who present at the skeletal muscle level fibres rearrangement, muscle weakness and myotonia, especially in the distal muscles.

Methods

After assessing maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), 14 male patients with DM1 and 14 healthy controls (HC) performed a fatiguing exercise at 50% MVC until exhaustion. EMG, MMG, and force signals were recorded from tibialis anterior and vastus lateralis muscles. The electromechanical delay during contraction (DelayTOT) and relaxation (R-DelayTOT) components, EMG and MMG root mean square (RMS) and mean frequency (MF) were calculated off-line.

Results

The fatiguing exercise duration was similar in both groups. In patients with DM1, delays components were significantly longer compared to HC, especially in the distal muscle during relaxation. Delays components recovered quickly from the fatiguing exercise in HC than in patients with DM1 in both muscles.

Conclusions

The alterations in delays observed in DM1 during the fatiguing exercise may indicate that also the lengthening of the electrochemical and mechanical processes during contraction and relaxation could play a role in explaining exercise intolerance in this pathology.

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Abbreviations

DelayTOT :

Total electromechanical delay during contraction

DM1:

Myotonic dystrophy type 1

Δt :

Delays during contraction

EMG:

Electromyogram

F :

Force

HC:

Healthy controls

HRT:

Half relaxation time

MF:

Mean frequency

MMG:

Mechanomyogram

MVC:

Maximum voluntary contraction

R-DelayTOT :

Total electromechanical delay during relaxation

RFD:

Rate of force development

RMS:

Root mean square

R-Δt :

Delays during relaxation

SEC:

Serial elastic component

TA:

Tibialis anterior muscle

VL:

Vastus lateralis muscle

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all the participants involved in the study, for their patience and committed involvement. The study was supported by the Grant #15-6-3016000-206 assigned to Prof. Fabio Esposito by the Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health of the University of Milan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health (SCIBIS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Colombo 71, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Fabio Esposito, Emiliano Cè, Susanna Rampichini, Elena Monti, Eloisa Limonta & Giovanni Meola

  2. IRCCS Fondazione don Gnocchi, Centro di Medicina dello Sport, via Capecelatro 66, 20148, Milan, Italy

    Fabio Esposito

  3. IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Piazza Malan 2, 20097, San Donato Milanese (MI), Italy

    Barbara Fossati & Giovanni Meola

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  1. Fabio Esposito
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  2. Emiliano Cè
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Correspondence to Fabio Esposito.

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Communicated by Olivier Seynnes.

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Esposito, F., Cè, E., Rampichini, S. et al. Electromechanical delays during a fatiguing exercise and recovery in patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1. Eur J Appl Physiol 117, 551–566 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3558-4

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