Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31197369›Full record

Trial reportPhysical therapy2019

Dose-Response Relationship Between Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Muscle Function in People With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Gustavo J Almeida, Samannaaz S Khoja, Sara R Piva

Open access · bronzeAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Physical therapy, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 35% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Gustavo J AlmeidaDepartment of Physical Therapy, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr, Mail Code 6247, San Antonio, TX 78229 (USA).
Samannaaz S KhojaDepartment of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Sara R PivaDepartment of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh.
University of Pittsburgh · USThe University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio · US

Funding

University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science InstitutionKL2RR024154 · NCRR · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI REIS, STEVEN E · 2006 to 2011
$22.2M
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in Individuals with Rheumatoid ArthritisK01HD058035 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI PIVA, SARA R. · 2009 to 2013
$642k
NCRR NIH HHS KL2 RR024154NICHD NIH HHS K01 HD058035
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNeuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a viable intervention for improving impaired muscle function in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, there is limited evidence about the dose-response relationship between NMES and muscle function in these individuals.

objectiveThe objectives of this study were to investigate the dose-response relationship between NMES and muscle function in individuals with RA and to establish the minimal NMES training intensity for promoting improvements.

designThis study was a secondary analysis of data obtained before and after an NMES intervention in a randomized study.

methodsThe study took place at a research clinic. Only adults diagnosed with RA were included. The intervention consisted of 36 NMES treatment sessions for the quadriceps muscles over 16 weeks. Muscle function was measured before and after the intervention; quadriceps cross-sectional area and muscle quality were assessed using computed tomography, and strength was measured with an isokinetic dynamometer. NMES training intensity was calculated as a percentage by dividing NMES-elicited quadriceps muscle torque by the maximum voluntary isometric contraction. Improvements in muscle function were calculated using paired-sample t tests. The dose-response relationship was determined using curve estimation regression statistics. The minimum NMES training intensity was defined as that sufficient to significantly improve all muscle function measures.

resultsTwenty-four people (48 legs) participated (75% women; mean [SD] age = 58 [8] years; mean body mass index = 32 [7] kg/m2). Quadriceps cross-sectional area, muscle quality, and strength improved after the intervention. Associations between NMES training intensity and muscle quality (r2 = 0.20) and strength (r2 = 0.23) were statistically significant, but that between NMES training intensity and muscle cross-sectional area was not (r2 = 0.02). The minimum NMES training intensity necessary to improve all measures of muscle function ranged from 11% to 20% of the maximum voluntary isometric contraction. LIMITATIONS: The relatively small sample size was a limitation.

conclusionsThe minimum NMES training intensity for significant gains in muscle function was ∼15%. Higher NMES intensities may promote better muscle quality and strength in individuals with RA.

Indexed as

Arthritis, RheumatoidBody Mass IndexElectric Stimulation TherapyFemaleHumansIsometric ContractionMaleMiddle AgedMuscle, SkeletalMuscle StrengthMuscle WeaknessMuscular AtrophyQuadriceps MuscleRegression AnalysisSample SizeTorque

Identifiers

PMID31197369
PMCPMC6735838
OpenAlexW2950326128

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.