The International journal of neuroscience
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In spinal cord injury, recovery of function, if any, confirms the presence of survived neural tissue at the injury site. However, recovery several years after the injury remains unexplained. ⋯ The new exercise regimens have not addressed this essential prerequisite; this could perhaps explain the long delays in recovery. We recommend that inclusion of inductive lability procedure (Krishnan, 1983, 1991, 2003) will help hasten and enhance the recovery.
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Comparative Study
Sex and handedness differences in hearing durations of the right and left ears in healthy young adults.
The aim of this work was to study the sex and handedness differences in hearing durations of the right and left ears in healthy young adults. The hearing durations were assessed using a modified Rinne test. ⋯ In right-handers, the hearing duration of the right ear was longer than that of the left ear; in left-handers, the hearing duration of the left ear was longer than that of the right ear. These results suggest a male superiority in auditory perceptual acuity; a left-ear advantage in left-handers may result in the superiority of non-right-handers in musical tasks.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Lower back pain is reduced and range of motion increased after massage therapy.
A randomized between-groups design evaluated massage therapy versus relaxation for chronic low back pain. ⋯ Adults (M age=39.6 years) with low back pain with a duration of at least 6 months received two 30-min massage or relaxation therapy sessions per week for 5 weeks. Participants receiving massage therapy reported experiencing less pain, depression, anxiety and their sleep had improved. They also showed improved trunk and pain flexion performance, and their serotonin and dopamine levels were higher.
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Evoked potentials (EPs) to noxious thermal stimulation of skin may provide information about integrity of the nociceptive afferent system and thus small afferent fiber integrity. Here we describe subjective report, EPs and response times to noxious contact thermal and laser stimuli in the same subjects. ⋯ EPs to contact heat pulses consisted of a single, scalp positive wave occurring approximately 830 ms following arm stimulation and 890 ms following leg stimulation. Both forms of noxious stimulation activated afferents with a conduction velocity consistent with that of A-delta fibers ( approximately 10 m/s) and with the psychophysical attributes of first pain.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of heteronymous monosynaptic Ia facilitation in young and elderly subjects in supine and standing positions.
The control of posture and balance is a primary concern among the elderly. Postural instability has been identified as a contributor to the greater incidence of falling among this segment of the population. One important neuromuscular mechanism identified as important in the control of posture and balance is the segmental reflex system. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of presynaptic inhibition in modulating the reflex system in young and elderly subjects. ⋯ These results demonstrate differential effects of both H-reflex modulation and heteronymous conditioning for elderly subjects when compared with young adults. These differences may be an adaptive phenomenon of the aging neuromuscular system, exemplified by a decreased ability to modulate the reflex system in the elderly group.