[Purpose] The aim of this double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled study is to investigate the effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for reducing the side effects of Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy with oxaloplatin or paclitaxel. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-four patients were randomly allocated into two groups: active or placebo stimulation. All patients were assessed for pain, numbness/tingiling, frequency of symptoms, and quality of life. The transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation device was applied daily with modulating frequencies ranging between 7 Hz and 65 Hz in distal limb regions during three cycles of chemotherapy (45 days). The other stimulation parameters were: pulse duration of 200 μsec, intensity at the highest tolerable level, and increases in intensity when it diminished. [Results] The data showed no difference between active or placebo groups in terms of pain, numbness/tingling, frequency of symptoms or impact on daily life activities. [Conclusion] These results suggest that Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation applied in the frequency variation mode was not proven to be effective to improve the symptoms of Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy during chemotherapy cycles. There was no worsening of symptoms in subsequent cycles of the onset of symptoms of the disease.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the organization of collagen fibers in the healing process of rat Achilles tendon rupture using different times of ultrasound therapy (TUS). Forty Wistar rats were selected. Among these, 32 were submitted to total and divided into 5 groups: control group (CG, = 8), without tenotomy or any treatment; tenotomy group ( = 8), with tenotomy and without treatment; TUS groups-TUS3 ( = 8), TUS4 ( = 8), and TUS5 ( = 8)-submitted to tenotomy and treated with TUS for 3, 4, and 5 min per effective radiating area (ERA), respectively. The animals were sacrificed on the 12th postoperative day. The tendons were surgically removed for analysis of the collagen fiber organization using the birefringence technique (OR, optical retardation). The collagen fibers exhibited better aggregation and organization in the UST3, TUS4, and TUS5 groups compared with CG ( < 0.05). The TUS5 group had rates in intergroup comparison. The dose response of therapeutic TUS is influenced by many variables. The scientific evidence to support the dosimetry is insufficient. The application time is an important variable to be considered in TUS. In this study, the longer the application time, the better for organization and aggregation of collagen fibers in the rat tendon. TUS applied for 5 min per ERA presented higher dose response to the organization of collagen fibers in the healing process of rat Achilles tendon rupture.

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Agradeço à minha família que sempre me incentivou e apoiou em todas as minhas escolhas profissionais e acadêmicas.Aos meus amigos que me ajudaram a manter meus níveis de estresse e serotonina, em especial ao Felipe Américo.À minha Orientadora-mãe ou Mãe-orientadora, alguém de tamanha importância para mim que nem consigo definir a ordem entre sujeito e predicado, Profa. Dra. Raquel Aparecida Casarotto, que me orientou com maestria, auxiliou e participou ativamente das inúmeras fases desta pesquisa, de forma profissional e humana, fazendo deste um trabalho mais agradável.

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