There is no consensus about the best time to start exercise after peripheral nerve injury. We evaluated the morphological and functional characteristics of the sciatic nerves of rats that began to swim immediately after crush nerve injury (CS1), those that began to swim 14 days after injury (CS14), injured rats not submitted to swimming (C), and uninjured rats submitted to swimming (S). After 30 days the number of axons in CS1 and CS14 was lower than in C (P < 0.01). The diameter of axons and nerve fibers was larger in CS1 (P < 0.01) and CS14 (P < 0.05) than in C, and myelin sheath thickness was lower in all crushed groups (P < 0.05). There was no functional difference between CS1 and CS14 (P > 0.05). Swimming exercise applied during the acute or late phase of nerve injury accelerated nerve regeneration and synaptic elimination after axonotmesis, suggesting that exercise may be initiated immediately after injury.

Because enriched environment (EE) and exercise increase and aging decreases immune response, we hypothesized that environmental enrichment and aging will, respectively, delay and increase prion disease progression. Mice dorsal striatum received bilateral stereotaxic intracerebral injections of normal or ME7 prion infected mouse brain homogenates. After behavior analysis, animals were euthanized and their brains processed for astrocyte GFAP immunolabeling. Our analysis related to the environmental influence are limited to young adult mice, whereas age influence refers to aged mice raised on standard cages. Burrowing activity began to reduce in ME7-SE two weeks before ME7-EE, while no changes were apparent in ME7 aged mice (ME7-A). Object placement recognition was impaired in ME7-SE, NBH-A, and ME7-A but normal in all other groups. Object identity recognition was impaired in ME7-A. Cluster analysis revealed two morphological families of astrocytes in NBH-SE animals, three in NBH-A and ME7-A, and four in NBH-EE, ME7-SE, and ME7-EE. As compared with control groups, astrocytes from DG and CA3 prion-diseased animals show significant numerical and morphological differences and environmental enrichment did not reverse these changes but induced different morphological changes in GFAP+ hippocampal astroglia. We suggest that environmental enrichment and aging delayed hippocampal-dependent behavioral and neuropathological signs of disease progression.

Introduction Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, which triggers limitations and disability in people. Therefore, rehabilitation therapy is widely recommended in patients with PD, especially those who do not respond to pharmacological treatment.Objective Evaluate the effect of a protocol of Whole-body Vibration (WBV) in balance, gait and Quality of Life (QOL) of patients with PD, who do not respond to pharmacological treatment.Methods It was performed 12 sessions of a protocol WBV (squat, plantar flexion, isometric contraction of members and single-leg balance), with three sets each, at a vibrating platform (2mm and 35Hz) in 10 PD patients. By the first 3 sessions, patients underwent 20 seconds of exercise and 20 seconds of rest. After the third session, the treatment was 40 seconds of exercise and 20 seconds of rest. The Tinetti Test was applied before and after treatment to assess balance and gait, and the Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life-questionnaire (PDQL-BR), to evaluate the PDQL-BR and its subcategories: Parkinson, Systemic, Social and Emotional.Results Treatment did not significantly change the balance (p = 0.438), QOL issue in Emotional (p = 0.450) and Social (p = 0.171), but improved gait (p = 0.003), the Tinetti (p ≤ 0.001), the quality of life in items Parkinson (p ≤ 0.001), Systemic (p ≤ 0.001) and PDQL-BR (p ≤ 0.001).Conclusions WBV exercises on the vibrating platform, according to the parameters used, showed promising results that encourage its use to improve the clinical conditions related to disorders of gait, balance and QOL in patients with PD.

Background: Degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease can lead to postural changes and muscular strength, this generates greater impact on the individual, on his functional capacity, respiratory system, mobility and, quality of life (QOL). Objective: The aim of this study was to verify the influence of the Global Posture Reeducation (GPR) method on respiratory muscle strength and QOL in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Methods: Twenty volunteers, the average of age is 48.8 ± 6.22 years, they are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at level 2 to 3 by the Hoehn & Yahr Scale. They were submitted to the protocol of treatment with the GPR method in the postures of Frog in the ground and ballerina, performed regularly twice a week lasting 60 minutes each session, for 6 weeks, totaling 12 sessions, evaluated by PDQ-39 quality of life questionnaire and by inspiratory pressure measurements and Maximum expiratory value. Results: In the quantitative analysis of inspiratory and expiratory muscle pressure, there was an increase in post-treatment for maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) (p <0.05) when compared to pre-treatment, as well as when compared with predicted values MIP and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) presented higher values (p <0.05). In terms of QoL domains: mobility (p = 0.0009), daily life activity (p = 0.0006), emotional well-being (p = 0.001), cognition (p = 0.01) and physical discomfort were statistically significant in post-treatment. Conclusion: The use of GPR in Parkinson’s disease has shown to be effective in the treatment of respiratory muscle strength and QoL.

Contextualização: a educação em saúde visa motivar os indivíduos a adotarem e manterem padrões de vida sadios e a tornarem-se autônomos de suas decisões e do seu processo de participação em saúde. A interprofissionalidade é um modelo em que profissões aprendem juntas sobre o trabalho colaborativo. Descrição da experiência: o presente relato traz a experiência de acadêmicos do Programa de Educação para o Trabalho em Saúde/Interprofissionalidade (PET-Saúde/Interprofissionalidade) inseridos em uma Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF). Foram criadas estratégias e ações para estimular a participação dos usuários no processo de desenvolvimento da autonomia no cuidado da saúde. Entre os temas abordados, estavam sobre Prevenção ao Suicídio (Setembro Amarelo), Prevenção do Câncer de Mama (Outubro Rosa), Prevenção a Hanseníases (Janeiro Roxo) e Prevenção a Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis (IST) e uso de métodos preservativos. Resultados e Impactos: o PET-Saúde/Interprofissionalidade possibilitou aos acadêmicos uma inserção na atenção básica, permitindo perceber a realidade local, bem como as potencialidades e fragilidades do serviço de saúde, o desenvolvimento de habilidades de comunicação e a prática interdisciplinar. Conclusões: as atividades realizadas e o contato com os usuários do serviço oportunizaram aos acadêmicos aplicar seus conhecimentos teóricos e práticos de forma interprofissional; e as intervenções foram vistas de forma positiva pela comunidade. Além disso, ocorreu maior integração entre a equipe da unidade após reuniões e discussões acerca das ações realizadas, favorecendo, assim, o processo de alinhamento entre a equipe e a população assistida pela ESF.