Establishment a new strategy for attenuating arthrogenic muscle

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K19868
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 59010:Rehabilitation science-related
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: Oda Shota 高知大学, 医学部附属病院, 理学療法士 (60795053)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 運動器疼痛 / 関節因性筋抑制 / 運動イメージ / ヒト実験的疼痛モデル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to verify the efficacy of visually-assisted motor imagery against Arthrogenic muscle inhibition (AMI) using a human experimental pain model. Experimental ankle pain was induced by hypertonic saline infusion into unilateral Kager's fat pad. Subjects were instructed to imagine while watching a movie in which repetitive motion of their own ankle was shown. H-reflex normalized by the motor response (H/M ratio) on soleus muscle, maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force of ankle flexion, and contractile activities of the calf muscles during MVC were recorded. In response to pain, there were significant decreases in the H/M ratio, MVC and contractile activities, all of which were successfully reversed after the ankle motion imagery. Visually-assisted motor imagery improved the pain-induced AMI. This investigation possibly shows the potential of a novel and versatile approach against AMI for patients with musculoskeletal pain.

Free Research Field

運動器疼痛

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

高張食塩水をヒトの筋、腱、靭帯などに投与して作成するヒト実験的疼痛モデルは、特定の構造物由来の痛みの強さや広がり、その痛みによって二次的に生じる運動機能変化などが評価可能である。患者を対象とした臨床研究では、各患者にみられる病態の不均一性によって、純粋に痛みそのものによる影響を検証することが困難であるが、本モデルではこの問題を克服可能であり、痛みによる筋力抑制に対するアプローチを科学的に検証できたことに意義があり、場所を問わず簡便に応用できる点で、非常に有用である。運動イメージによる長期的な効果については今後の検討課題であるが、AMIに対する新規治療戦略の手がかりになると期待している。