Combining Core Training and Sensory Refinement: effects on physical performance

The concept of “the Core” describes the complex of anatomical components of the trunk, pelvis and shoulder girdle that are responsible for maintaining the stability of the spine and pelvis and are critical for the transfer of energy from larger torso to the smaller extremities, during many sport and daily-living activities (1). This concept rooted in sport science and rehabilitation and recently Core Training (CT) became very popular as a method to prevent injuries and improve sport performance and physical fitness. It consists in the progressive training of the musculature of the Core with special emphasis in posture and lumbar spine stability. This aspect requires a fine coordination and body awareness that often are poor developed or regressed after an injury. Then, it is important to include exercises of Sensorial Refinement (SR) that may stimulate the refinement of perceptually neglected areas (2). The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of combined CT and SR on physical performance and to compare these effects with traditional core training. Furthermore, the effect on retention after 4 weeks of detraining was evaluated. Two groups of participants were recruited (age >30 < 50) and assigned to experimental (CT and SR: EXP, n = 9) or control (CT: CON, n = 9) group. Both groups trained ten weeks, with a frequency of two sessions per week. Training consisted in 10’ of warm up, 40’ of workout and 10’ of cool down. Workout of EXP group consisted in 20’ of SR and 20’ of CT whereas CON group performs 40’ of CT. Participants where tested by: Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) for the dynamic balance of lower body, Upper Quarter Y Balance Test (YBT-UQ) to assess upper extremities function in a closed-chain position and McGill test to evaluate muscular endurance of the core. Both groups improved core endurance after training and worsen it at follow up; moreover, both groups ameliorate upper an lower body control (SEBT and YBT-UQ) after training but only EXP group improved or maintained it at follow up. Since the information about the movements of the body are elaborated in the somatomotor cortex for fine coordination, the combination of CT and SR should better promote the consolidation of motor memory and long-term body control

VEGF response to aerobic training in postmenopause: walking training vs nordic walking

Menopausal transition leads to increased risk of non-communicable chronic diseases, which are characterized by endothelial disruption and dysfunction. Aerobic physical exercise determines an increase of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a signal protein that stimulates angiogenesis, and recent studies suggest a direct correlation between exercise intensity and VEGF production (1). However, high intensity training is often not recommended for postmenopausal women as a result of cardiovascular and orthopaedic contraindications. The aim of the study was to determine if exercising at the same intensity (i.e. moderate intensity) but involving a more extended muscle mass might induce higher circulating levels of VEGF. Nordic Walking (NW), a form of physical activity where the active use of a pair of dedicated poles is added to regular walking, was compared to walking training (WT). Thirty postmenopausal women were enrolled in the study (57.93±3.55 years old) and randomly assigned to WT (n=15) and NW (n=15). Serum VEGF levels were determined by ELISA before and after exercise training, consisting in three workouts of 40-50 minutes for 13 weeks at intensity between 11 and 13 of a 15-category scale of the ratings of the perceived exertion. The only difference was the use of poles with appropriated technique in NW group. RM-ANOVA with repeated measure for the factor time revealed an effect for time (P=.01) and an interaction effect time x group (P=.041). Post-hoc analysis, consisting in a paired sample t-test for each group, showed that NW increased VEGF whereas WT showed only a tendency (WT: T0=39.68±2.90 T1=40.22±2.56, P=.012; NW: T0=38.22±1.60 T1=42.52±5.97, P=.57). In conclusion, independently from exercise intensity, NW seems to increase VEGF more efficiently than WT, probably as a result of a larger capillary bed actively involved by exercising muscles. This outcome should be taken in consideration when programming exercise training for postmenopausal women

Do prenatal depressive symptoms developed by hospitalized women with high-risk pregnancy persist to post-partum?

: This study aims to explore the level of depressive symptoms during pregnancy and after childbirth comparing women hospitalized due to high-risk pregnancy (clinical group) and women with low-risk pregnancy (control group). Seventy pregnant women (26 clinical group and 44 control group) filled in the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale both during pregnancy and three months after childbirth. Results showed that the clinical group reported significant higher levels of prenatal depression than the control group, while no differences were found on postnatal depression. Data highlighted that hospitalization could represents a significant stressor that can exacerbate depression in women with high-risk pregnancy

Diagnosis of Organizing Pneumonia with an Ultrathin Bronchoscope and Cone-Beam CT: A Case Report

Organizing pneumonia (OP) is a pulmonary disease histopathologically characterized by plugs of loose connective tissue in distal airways. The clinical and radiological presentations are not specific and they usually require a biopsy confirmation. This paper presents the case of a patient with a pulmonary opacity sampled with a combined technique of ultrathin bronchoscopy and cone-beam CT. A 64-year-old female, a former smoker, was admitted to the hospital of Reggio Emilia (Italy) for exertional dyspnea and a dry cough without a fever. The history of the patient included primary Sj&ouml;gren Syndrome interstitial lung disease (pSS-ILD) characterized by a non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) radiological pattern; this condition was successfully treated up to 18 months before the new admission. The CT scan showed the appearance of a right lower lobe pulmonary opacity of an uncertain origin that required a histological exam for the diagnosis. The lung lesion was difficult to reach with traditional bronchoscopy and a percutaneous approach was excluded. Thus, cone-beam CT, augmented fluoroscopy and ultrathin bronchoscopy were chosen to collect a tissue sample. The histopathological exam was suggestive of OP, a condition occurring in 4&ndash;11% of primary Sj&ouml;gren Syndrome cases. This case showed that, in the correct clinical and radiological context, even biopsies taken with small forceps can lead to a diagnosis of OP. Moreover, it underlined that the combination of multiple advanced technologies in the same procedure can help to reach difficult target lesions, providing proper samples for a histological diagnosis

Diagnosis and Pattern Identification of Intrathoracic Malignant Melanoma Metastasis: A Retrospective Single Center Analysis

The lung is a frequent site of secondary malignancies. Melanoma is a malignant tumor originating from melanocytes, that accounts for the majority of death related to skin cancers. In advanced stages, it can also present with intrathoracic metastasis, particularly in the lungs, but infrequent intrathoracic manifestations are possible. A retrospective analysis of the cases referred to the pulmonary endoscopy unit of the hospital of Reggio Emilia in the last 10 years (since December 2012) was carried out, discovering 17 cases of melanoma metastasis with thoracic localizations, either with or without a diagnosis of primary melanoma. Four repetitive patterns of clinical-radiological presentation have been identified and described through the same number of paradigmatic clinical cases: nodal involvement (35%), lung mass(es) (41%), diffuse pulmonary involvement (12%), and pleural involvement (12%). These different presentations imply the use of different diagnostic techniques, with an overall high diagnostic yield (87.5%). Finally, a brief analysis of survival based on the pattern of presentation has been performed, finding no statistically significant differences between the four groups at metastasis diagnosis (p-value = 0.06, median survival of respectively 54, 8, 9, and 26 months from metastasis diagnosis), while there is a significant difference considering patients with lung involvement versus nodal/pleural involvement (p = 0.01)