The fibromyalgia treatment with physical exercise in warm water reduces the impact of the disease on female patients’ physical and mental health

Introducción: Los pacientes con fibromialgia (FM) muestran dolor, rigidez muscular, condición física reducida y fatiga que limitan sus actividades de la vida diaria. El propósito de este estudio fue evaluar los efectos de la adición al tratamiento médico clásico de 12 semanas de ejercicio físico en agua caliente en el impacto de la FM en la salud física y mental de mujeres afectadas. Pacientes, material y métodos: Treinta y cuatro pacientes no entrenadas físicamente se distribuyeron aleatoriamente en 2 grupos: un grupo experimental (n = 17), que realizó 3 sesiones semanales de 60 min de ejercicio físico en agua caliente, y un grupo de control (n = 17), que no recibió dicho tratamiento adicional. El impacto de la FM en la salud física y mental de las pacientes fue evaluado mediante el Cuestionario del Impacto de la Fibromialgia (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire [FIQ]). Resultados: A las 12 semanas de ejercicio físico se observaron mejoras significativas en el grupo experimental respecto al grupo de control, en la función física (35%; p = 0,016), sentirse bien (34%; p = 0,003), la capacidad de trabajo (14%; p = 0,046), el dolor (26%; p = 0,030), la rigidez (33%; p = 0,038), la ansiedad (36%; p = 0,044), la depresión (26%; p = 0,046) y en la escala total del FIQ (27%; p = 0,004). Conclusiones: La adición del programa de ejercicio físico acuático al tratamiento médico usual redujo el impacto de la FM en la salud física y mental de las pacientes. Sin embargo, el efecto placebo podría haber contribuido parcialmente en estas mejoras

Eight-month of physical training in warm water improves physical and mental health in women with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of 8 months of supervised exercise therapy in warm water and its effects on the impact of fibromyalgia on physical and mental health and physical fitness in affected women. METHODS: Thirty women with fibromyalgia were randomly assigned to an exercise therapy group (n = 15) or a control group (inactive) (n = 15). The impact of fibromyalgia on physical and mental health was assessed using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and the anxiety state with State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Physical fitness was measured using the following tests: Canadian Aerobic Fitness; hand-grip dynamometry; 10-metre walking; 10-step stair-climbing and blind 1-leg stance. RESULTS: After 8 months of training, the exercise therapy group improved compared with the control group in terms of physical function (20%), pain (8%), stiffness (53%), anxiety (41%), depression (27%), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire total scores (18%), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory score (22%), aerobic capacity (22%), balance (30%), functional capacity for walking (6%), stair-climbing with no extra weight (14%) and stair-climbing 10 kg-weighted (25%). CONCLUSION: Eight months of supervised exercise in warm water was feasible and led to long-term improvements in physical and mental health in patients with fibromyalgia at a similar magnitude to those of shorter therapy programmes

Improvements of muscle strength predicted benefits in HRQOL and postural balance in women with fibromyalgia: an 8-month randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether changes in muscle strength due to 32 weeks of supervised aquatic training predicted improvements on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). METHODS: Thirty women with FM aged 50.8 +/- 8.7 years were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15), performing 3 weekly sessions of 60 min of warm-water exercise; or to a control group (n = 15). HRQOL was evaluated using the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Maximal unilateral isokinetic strength was measured at 60 degrees/s and 210 degrees/s in the knee extensors and flexors in concentric action and at 60 degrees/s in knee extensors eccentric action. Postural balance was evaluated using the one-leg stance, eyes closed. RESULTS: After 32 weeks of water exercise therapy, statistically significant improvements occurred in concentric knee flexors and extensors strength at 60 degrees/s, in eccentric knee extensors and in postural balance. The treatment led to additional improvements in physical function, role physical problems, body pain, general health, vitality, role emotional problems and mental health dimensions of SF-36. Gains in the concentric knee flexors strength predicted improvements in role of physical problems, whereas those in concentric knee extensors did the same for mental health and role emotional problems. Gains in eccentric knee extensors strength predicted improvements in postural balance. CONCLUSIONS: A long-lasting exercise therapy in warm water produced relevant gains in muscle strength at low velocities of movements, some of which predicted improvements in physical problems, emotional problems, mental health and balance. TRIAL REGISTRATION: International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number ISRCTN53367487, information available in http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN53367487

Aquatic training and detraining on fitness and quality of life in fibromyalgia

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of a 12-wk period of aquatic training and subsequent detraining on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and physical fitness in females with fibromyalgia. METHODS: Thirty-four females with fibromyalgia were randomly assigned into two groups: an exercise group, who exercised for 60 min in warm water, three times a week (N = 17); and a control group, who continued their habitual leisure-time activities (N = 17). HRQOL was assessed using the Short Form 36 questionnaire and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire. Physical fitness was measured using the following tests: Canadian Aerobic Fitness, hand grip dynamometry, 10-m walking, 10-step stair climbing, and blind one-leg stance. Outcomes were measured at baseline, after treatment, and after 3 months of detraining. RESULTS: After 12 wk of aquatic exercise, significant positive effects of aquatic training were found in physical function, body pain, general health perception, vitality, social function, role emotional problems and mental health, balance, and stair climbing. After the detraining period, only the improvements in body pain and role emotional problems were maintained. CONCLUSION: The present water exercise protocol improved some components of HRQOL, balance, and stair climbing in females with fibromyalgia, but regular exercise and higher intensities may be required to preserve most of these gains

The impact of lifestyle factors on the intensity of adverse effects in single and repeated session protocols of transcranial electrical stimulation : an exploratory pilot study

Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) has shown promise in the treatment of conditions such as depression and chronic pain with mild-to-moderate adverse effects (AEs). Few previous studies have attempted to identify factors predicting tES-induced AEs. In particular, AEs resulting from repeated sessions of tES remain understudied. We conducted an exploratory retrospective analysis of two independent randomized controlled studies to investigate whether lifestyle factors (i.e. chronic alcohol use, smoking, exercise, and quality and length of sleep) modify the severity and frequency of tES-induced AEs, and evaluated the progression of AEs over repeated sessions. We utilized two double-blinded samples: 1) a male sample (n=82) randomized to receive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) or sham for 5 days, and 2) a mixed-sex sample (n=60) who received both transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) and sham in a crossover setting. The severity of AEs was recorded on a scale of 0-100. The data was analysed using negative binomial models. In addition, we performed power calculations and, to guide future research, evaluated the numbers of individuals needed to detect non-significant observations as significant. By day 5, the tDCS group experienced more sensations under the electrodes than the sham group. Alcohol use, smoking, exercise, or quality or duration of sleep did not appear to be associated with the intensity of the AEs. The subsequent power analyses indicated that substantially larger samples would be needed to detect the observed associations as significant. Repetitive sessions do not appear to introduce additional AE burden to individuals receiving either tDCS or tRNS, at least with protocols lasting up to 5 days. Alcohol use, smoking, exercise, or quality or duration of sleep appear to only have an effect of negligible size, if any, on AEs induced by tDCS or tRNS, and studies with sample sizes ranging from roughly 100 individuals to hundreds of thousands of individuals would be required to detect such effects as significant

The NDE1 genomic locus can affect treatment of psychiatric illness through gene expression changes related to microRNA-484

Genetic studies of familial schizophrenia in Finland have observed significant associations with a group of biologically related genes, DISCI1, NDE1,NDEL1, PDE4B and PDE4D, the 'DISCI network'. Here, we use gene expression and psychoactive medication use data to study their biological consequences and potential treatment implications. Gene expression levels were determined in 64 individuals from 18 families, while prescription medication information has been collected over a 10 -year period for 931 affected individuals. We demonstrate that the NDE1 SNP rs2242549 associates with significant changes in gene expression for 2908 probes (2542 genes), of which 794 probes (719 genes) were replicable. A significant number of the genes altered were predicted targets of microRNA-484 (p = 3.0 x 10(-8)), located on a non -coding exon of NDE1. Variants within the NM. locus also displayed significant genotype by gender interaction to early cessation of psychoactive medications metabolized by CYP2C19. Furthermore, we demonstrate that miR-484 can affect the expression of CYP2C19 in a cell culture system. Thus, variation at the IVDET locus may alter risk of mental illness, in part through modification of miR-484, and such modification alters treatment response to specific psychoactive medications, leading to the potential for use of this locus in targeting treatment.Peer reviewe

Abdominal obesity and circulating metabolites : A twin study approach

Objective. To investigate how obesity, insulin resistance and low-grade inflammation link to circulating metabolites, and whether the connections are due to genetic or environmental factors. Subjects and methods. Circulating serum metabolites were determined by proton NMR spectroscopy. Data from 1368 (531 monozygotic (MZ) and 837 dizygotic (DZ)) twins were used for bivariate twin modeling to derive the genetic (r(g)) and environmental (re) correlations between waist circumference (WC) and serum metabolites. Detailed examination of the associations between fat distribution (DEXA) and metabolic health (HOMA-IR, CRP) was performed among 286 twins including 33 BMI-discordant MZ pairs (intrapair BMI difference >= 3 kg/m(2)). Results. Fat, especially in the abdominal area (i.e. WC, android fat % and android to gynoid fat ratio), together with HOMA-IR and CRP correlated significantly with an atherogenic lipoprotein profile, higher levels of branched-chain (BCAA) and aromatic amino acids, higher levels of glycoprotein, and a more saturated fatty acid profile. In contrast, a higher proportion of gynoid to total fat associated with a favorable metabolite profile. There was a significant genetic overlap between WC and several metabolites, most strongly with phenylalanine (r(g) = 0.40), glycoprotein (r(g) = 0.37), serum triglycerides (r(g) = 0.36), BCAAs (r(g) = 0.30-0.40), HDL particle diameter (r(g) = -0.33) and HDL cholesterol (r(g) = -0.30). The effect of acquired obesity within the discordant MZ pairs was particularly strong for atherogenic lipoproteins. Conclusions. A wide range of unfavorable alterations in the serum metabolome was associated with abdominal obesity, insulin resistance and low-grade inflammation. Twin modeling and obesity-discordant twin analysis suggest that these associations are partly explained by shared genes but also reflect mechanisms independent of genetic liability. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

The impact of lifestyle factors on the intensity of adverse effects in single and repeated session protocols of transcranial electrical stimulation: an exploratory pilot study

Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) has shown promise in the treatment of conditions such as depression and chronic pain with mild-to-moderate adverse effects (AEs). Few previous studies have attempted to identify factors predicting tES-induced AEs. In particular, AEs resulting from repeated sessions of tES remain understudied. We conducted an exploratory retrospective analysis of two independent randomized controlled studies to investigate whether lifestyle factors (i.e. chronic alcohol use, smoking, exercise, and quality and length of sleep) modify the severity and frequency of tES-induced AEs, and evaluated the progression of AEs over repeated sessions. We utilized two double-blinded samples: 1) a male sample (n=82) randomized to receive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) or sham for 5 days, and 2) a mixed-sex sample (n=60) who received both transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) and sham in a crossover setting. The severity of AEs was recorded on a scale of 0-100. The data was analysed using negative binomial models. In addition, we performed power calculations and, to guide future research, evaluated the numbers of individuals needed to detect non-significant observations as significant. By day 5, the tDCS group experienced more sensations under the electrodes than the sham group. Alcohol use, smoking, exercise, or quality or duration of sleep did not appear to be associated with the intensity of the AEs. The subsequent power analyses indicated that substantially larger samples would be needed to detect the observed associations as significant. Repetitive sessions do not appear to introduce additional AE burden to individuals receiving either tDCS or tRNS, at least with protocols lasting up to 5 days. Alcohol use, smoking, exercise, or quality or duration of sleep appear to only have an effect of negligible size, if any, on AEs induced by tDCS or tRNS, and studies with sample sizes ranging from roughly 100 individuals to hundreds of thousands of individuals would be required to detect such effects as significant

Effects of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Urban Mobility: Empirical Evidence from the City of Santander (Spain)

ABSTRACT: This article analyses the impact that the confinement measures or quarantine imposed in Spain on 15 March 2020 had on urban mobility in the northern city of Santander. Data have been collected from traffic counters, public transport ITS, and recordings from traffic control cameras and environmental sensors to make comparisons between journey flows and times before and during the confinement. This data has been used to re-estimate Origin-Destination trip matrices to obtain an initial diagnostic of how daily mobility has been reduced and how the modal distribution and journey purposes have changed. The impact on externalities such as NO2 emissions and traffic accidents have also been quantified. The analysis revealed an overall mobility fall of 76%, being less important in the case of the private car. Public transport users dropped by up to 93%, NO2 emissions were reduced by up to 60%, and traffic accidents were reduced by up to 67% in relative termsFunding: The infrastructure of the Tra_c and Dynamic Modeling Laboratory of the University of Cantabria has been partially funded by FEDER funds (Ref. No: UCAN10-4E-549). The image recognition methodology applied in this research has been developed thanks to financing from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad from the project referenced TRA2017-85853-C2-1-R

Serum angiopoietin-like 4 protein levels and expression in adipose tissue are inversely correlated with obesity in monozygotic twins

Animal studies have suggested that angiopoietin-like 4 (Angptl4) regulates adiposity through central and peripheral mechanisms. The aim of this study was to investigate whether serum concentration and adipose tissue expression of Angptl4 are associated with obesity-related parameters in humans. Altogether, 75 dizygotic (DZ) and 46 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs were studied, from the FinnTwin12 and FinnTwin16 cohorts. Among the MZ pairs, 21 were discordant for body mass index (BMI) (intra-pair BMI-difference >2.5 kg/m², age 23-33 years). Serum Angptl4 (s-Angptl4) levels were measured by ELISA, and adipose tissue gene expression was analyzed by genome-wide transcript profiling. In MZ twin pairs discordant for BMI, s-Angptl4 and adipose tissue ANGPTL4 mRNA (at-ANGPTL4) levels were significantly decreased (P = 0.04 and P = 0.03, respectively) in obese twins as compared with their nonobese cotwins. In all twins, intra-pair differences in s-Angptl4 levels were inversely correlated with intra-pair differences in BMI (r = -0.27, P = 0.003). In individual MZ twins, at-ANGPTL4 expression was inversely correlated with BMI (r = -0.44, P = 0.001) and positively correlated with at-LIPE (r = 0.24, P = 0.01) and at-ABHD5 (r = 0.41, P = 0.005) expression. Our results demonstrated that variation in Angptl4 concentration was only modestly accounted for by genetic factors and suggest a role for Angptl4 in acquired obesity in humans.Peer reviewe