Possibilities of Using Tensiomyography to Assess Early Changes in Muscle Function in Patients with Multiple...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Musculoskeletal Research

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease affecting muscle function.
• Evaluating upper limb muscle status is crucial for understanding MS-related disability.
• Tensiomyography offers a quantitative method to assess muscle mechanics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the functional status of biceps and triceps brachii muscles in MS patients.
• To compare muscle function between individuals with MS and healthy controls using tensiomyography.
• To investigate muscle stiffness and functional asymmetry in the upper limbs of MS patients.

Main Methods:

• Tensiomyography was used to examine biceps and triceps brachii muscles in both upper limbs.
• Participants included 19 individuals with MS and 24 healthy controls.
• Key indices analyzed were contraction time (Tc), delay time (Td), muscle displacement (Dm), and functional asymmetry indices.

Main Results:

• Significantly increased muscle stiffness in the biceps brachii was observed in the MS group compared to healthy controls (p < 0.0001).
• This difference in biceps brachii stiffness was consistent across both left and right upper limbs.
• While triceps brachii showed side-to-side asymmetry, antagonist muscle asymmetry did not differ significantly between groups.

Conclusions:

• Tensiomyography reveals increased biceps brachii muscle stiffness in patients with multiple sclerosis.
• The findings suggest altered muscle mechanics in the upper limbs of individuals with MS.
• Further research may explore the clinical implications of these muscle function changes in MS management.