Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38935545›Full record

ArticleExperimental physiology2024

Changes in brain functional connectivity and muscle strength independent of elbow flexor atrophy following upper limb immobilization in young females.

Freddie Seo, Julien Clouette, Yijia Huang, Alexandra Potvin-Desrochers, Henri Lajeunesse, Frédérike Parent-L'Ecuyer, Claire Traversa, Caroline Paquette, Tyler A Churchward-Venne

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Experimental physiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
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

9 authors.

Freddie SeoDepartment of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Julien ClouetteDepartment of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Yijia HuangDepartment of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Alexandra Potvin-DesrochersDepartment of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Henri LajeunesseDepartment of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Frédérike Parent-L'EcuyerDepartment of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Claire TraversaDepartment of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Caroline PaquetteDepartment of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Tyler A Churchward-VenneDepartment of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6006-5461

Funding

Canada Foundation for Innovation 31746Canada Foundation for Innovation 40372Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery RGPIN-2018-04113Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery RGPIN-2022-04769
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Muscle disuse induces a decline in muscle strength that exceeds the rate and magnitude of muscle atrophy, suggesting that factors beyond the muscle contribute to strength loss. The purpose of this study was to characterize changes in the brain and neuromuscular system in addition to muscle size following upper limb immobilization in young females. Using a within-participant, unilateral design, 12 females (age: 20.6 ± 2.1 years) underwent 14 days of upper arm immobilization using an elbow brace and sling. Bilateral measures of muscle strength (isometric and isokinetic dynamometry), muscle size (magnetic resonance imaging), voluntary muscle activation capacity, corticospinal excitability, cortical thickness and resting-state functional connectivity were collected before and after immobilization. Immobilization induced a significant decline in isometric elbow flexion (-21.3 ± 19.2%, interaction: P = 0.0440) and extension (-19.9 ± 15.7%, interaction: P = 0.0317) strength in the immobilized arm only. There was no significant effect of immobilization on elbow flexor cross-sectional area (CSA) (-1.2 ± 2.4%, interaction: P = 0.466), whereas elbow extensor CSA decreased (-2.9 ± 2.9%, interaction: P = 0.0177) in the immobilized arm. Immobilization did not differentially alter voluntary activation capacity, corticospinal excitability, or cortical thickness (P > 0.05); however, there were significant changes in the functional connectivity of brain regions related to movement planning and error detection (P < 0.05). This study reveals that elbow flexor strength loss can occur in the absence of significant elbow flexor muscle atrophy, and that the brain represents a site of functional adaptation in response to upper limb immobilization in young females.

Indexed as

BrainElbowImmobilizationMuscle, SkeletalMuscle StrengthMuscular AtrophyAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansIsometric ContractionMagnetic Resonance ImagingUpper ExtremityYoung Adultbrain plasticityfunctional magnetic resonance imagingmuscle disuse

Identifiers

PMID38935545
PMCPMC11363139

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.