Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi implementar e avaliar o impacto da elaboração de Mapas Conceituais (MC) como estratégia pedagógica no ensino-aprendizagem da Anatomia Humana, uma das disciplinas do curso de Fisioterapia da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Participaram do estudo 298 alunos regularmente matriculados, ao longo de seis semestres. A análise das médias das notas finais dos alunos, anteriores à ampliação do projeto dos MC, demonstrou decréscimo dessas médias ao longo dos semestres, o que foi revertido quando o projeto de ensino de MC foi implementado sistematicamente. A implementação dos MC também foi capaz de promover uma redução significativa no índice de reprovação. Assim, concluímos que o uso de MC parece ter contribuído para melhorar o desempenho dos alunos e também o índice de aprovação na disciplina de Anatomia Humana, principalmente após a sistematização do seu uso através do Projeto de Ensino apoiado pela Pró-Reitoria de Graduação da Instituição.

Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a syndrome characterized by widespread chronic pain associated to other symptoms, such as: fatigue, anxiety, depression and sleep disorders. Health education programs (HEP) have emerged as good non-pharmacological strategies to treat it. However, it is still not clear if the benefits are only subjective, or it has also objective impacts on immune and or neuroendocrine systems. Methods: Fifty-eight fibromyalgia women were randomly allocated in experimental group (n = 27) or control group (n = 31). The experimental group was submitted to HEP treatment for 11 weeks, while control group did not receive intervention at the same period. All data were collected at zero and 11th week by a blinded researcher. The statistical analysis were made in GraphPad Prism software (version 5.0) with significant level adjusted for α = 0.05. Results: Forty-four patients concluded the full study, 21 in the experimental group and 23 in the control group. Intragroup and intergroup analysis revealed that treatment induced significant increases of IL-4 plasma levels, antiinflammatory cytokine/inflammatory cytokine ratio (AC/IC ratio), salivary cortisol levels, in addition to significant decreases on FIQ scores. Intergroup variation analyses revealed also significant increases of IL-10 plasma levels. Conclusion: The results presented suggest that this kind of HEP could induce subjective and objective changes (immune and neuroendocrine), that could explain, at least in part the improvement of fibromyalgia patient's health status. (Clinical Trial Registration Number-ReBEC-RBR-5tdnbr).

Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) result from reduced cholinergic transmission at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). While the etiology of CMS varies, the disease is characterized by muscle weakness. To date, it remains unknown if CMS causes long-term and irreversible changes to skeletal muscles. In this study, we examined skeletal muscles in a mouse line with reduced expression of Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter (VAChT, mouse line herein called VAChT-KD). We examined this mouse line for several reasons. First, VAChT plays a central function in loading acetylcholine (ACh) into synaptic vesicles and releasing it at NMJs, in addition to other cholinergic nerve endings. Second, loss of function mutations in VAChT causes myasthenia in humans. Importantly, VAChT-KD present with reduced ACh and muscle weakness, resembling CMS. We evaluated the morphology, fiber type (myosin heavy chain isoforms), and expression of muscle-related genes in the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles. This analysis revealed that while muscle fibers atrophy in the EDL, they hypertrophy in the soleus muscle of VAChT-KD mice. Along with these cellular changes, skeletal muscles exhibit altered levels of markers for myogenesis (Pax-7, Myogenin, and MyoD), oxidative metabolism (PGC1-α and MTND1), and protein degradation (Atrogin1 and MuRF1) in VAChT-KD mice. Importantly, we demonstrate that deleterious changes in skeletal muscles and motor deficits can be partially reversed following the administration of the cholinesterase inhibitor, pyridostigmine in VAChT-KD mice. These findings reveal that fast and slow type muscles differentially respond to cholinergic deficits. Additionally, this study shows that the adverse effects of cholinergic transmission, as in the case of CMS, on fast and slow type skeletal muscles are reversible.

A performance funcional é maximizada através de programas de fortalecimento muscular em idosos. Contudo, poucas intervenções foram implementadas em idosos institucionalizados para avaliar os efeitos de programas de exercícios de fortalecimento muscular em desfechos como o equilíbrio, performance funcional e força muscular. Objetivo: Avaliar o impacto de um programa de fortalecimento muscular de membros inferiores no equilíbrio, performance funcional e força muscular de idosos institucionalizados. Métodos: Ensaio clínico controlado e randomizado. O equilíbrio, a performance funcional e a força muscular foram avaliados através da Escala de Equilíbrio de Berg (EEB), Marcha Tandem (MT), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) e Teste do Esfigmomanômetro (TE), respectivamente. O grupo experimental (GE, n=11) participou do programa de exercícios em grupo, três vezes semanais, durante oito semanas, enquanto o grupo controle (GC, n=8) continuou sua rotina habitual. Foram calculados os intervalos de 95% de confiança para as diferenças entre os grupos experimental e controle (experimental – controle) e entre os dois momentos de observação (pós – pré). Foi realizada análise de intenção de tratar. Resultados: O GE apresentou um ganho significativo em relação ao GC para a EEB (DM=3,7 IC95% 1,0 a 6,5), MT DM=3,5 IC95% 0,7 a 6,2), FMEJ (DM=33,2 IC95% 4,9 a 61,5) e FMD (DM=37,5 IC95% 9,6 a 65,3). Conclusão: O programa de fortalecimento muscular foi capaz de melhorar o equilíbrio, a performance funcional e a força muscular em idosos institucionalizados.