Motor neuron loss contribution in diaphragm function of sarcopenia evaluated by novel ultrasound tracking system

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K11207
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59010:Rehabilitation science-related
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Sekiguchi Kenji 神戸大学, 医学研究科, 准教授 (70533793)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: サルコペニア / 横隔膜 / 呼吸機能低下 / トラッキング / 超音波 / ALS

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We developed a novel ultrasound method to evaluate diaphragm function in sarcopenia and used this technique to compare diaphragm function in sarcopenia and motor neuron disease. In ultrasound images recorded from the lateral aspect of abdomen, the diaphragm moves in a cephalocaudal direction in response to breathing, so an application was developed to track pixels using a speckle tracking method and the amount of movement was measured. The amount of movement during resting breathing was 2.2±2.2 mm in healthy subjects, 1.4±0.9 mm in sarcopenia, and 0.6±1.4 mm in ALS, with ALS being significantly smaller than healthy subjects and sarcopenia being in between. The pathogenesis of sarcopenia may involve not only abnormal muscle metabolism but also functional denervation similar to ALS.

Free Research Field

脳神経内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

サルコペニア高齢者の肺炎を防ぎ健康寿命を延伸するために、咳嗽力維持とそれにかかわる横隔膜機能の評価は不可欠である。今回、信頼性のある方法がこれまで存在しなかった横隔膜機能の非侵襲的な評価法を開発した。今後、大規模な検討でも今回のように横隔膜機能低下にALSに類似した機能的脱神経が関与している所見が得られたら、これまでのサルコペニア高齢者に対する一律のレジスタンストレーニング推奨を見直し、個別最適化した訓練方法を検討していく必要が出てくる可能性もある。