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Effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation frequency on muscles of the tongue
Author(s) -
Kletzien Heidi,
Russell John A.,
Leverson Glen,
Connor Nadine P.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.26173
Subject(s) - stimulation , contraction (grammar) , hypoglossal nerve , muscle contraction , myosin , swallowing , muscle fatigue , medicine , tongue , neuromuscular junction , isometric exercise , anatomy , contractility , endocrinology , biology , electromyography , physical medicine and rehabilitation , neuroscience , surgery , biochemistry , pathology
: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for the treatment of swallowing disorders is delivered at a variety of stimulation frequencies. We examined the effects of stimulation frequency on tongue muscle plasticity in an aging rat model. Methods : Eighty‐six young, middle‐aged, and old rats were assigned to either bilateral hypoglossal nerve stimulation at 10 or 100 H z (5 days/week, 8 weeks), sham, or no‐implantation conditions. Muscle contractile properties and myosin heavy chain (MyHC) composition were determined for hyoglossus (HG) and styloglossus (SG) muscles. Results : Eight weeks of 100‐H z stimulation resulted in the greatest changes in muscle contractile function with significantly longer contraction and half‐decay times, the greatest reduction in fatigue, and a transition toward slowly contracting, fatigue‐resistant MyHC isoforms. Discussion : NMES at 100‐H z induced considerable changes in contractile and phenotypic profiles of HG and SG muscles, suggesting higher frequency NMES may yield a greater therapeutic effect. Muscle Nerve , 2018