In this pilot study, we roughly classified the pain descriptor items into two types for evaluating the qualities of deafferentation pain. We found that visually induced motor imagery by MVF was more effective for reducing deep pain than superficial pain. This suggests that the analgesic effect of MVF treatment does depend on the qualities of the pain. Further research will be required to confirm that this effect is a specific consequence of MVF.

Muscle nerve sympathetic activity (MSA) was recorded from the peroneal nerve during wakefulness and in different sleep states in healthy young adults. The burst rate (BR) of MSA significantly decreased in NREM, but not in REM sleep, compared with that during wakefulness. Transient increases of MSA frequently appeared in association with rapid eye movements during REM sleep. K-complexes in Stage 2 were almost always accompanied by a burst of MSA, and were followed by a transient elevation of arterial blood pressure. Auditory stimuli applied in sleep induced a burst of MSA followed by a transient increase of arterial blood pressure, only when they elicited an arousal response in the EEG, such as a K-complex, transient EEG desynchronization, or a short train of alpha waves. The same stimuli applied during wakefulness did not induce such changes in MSA and in arterial blood pressure.

No abstract

Myocardial bridges are more frequently found in the middle third of the anterior interventricular branch of the left coronary artery. The diameter of the anterior interventricular branch of the left coronary artery under the myocardial bridge may be smaller than after the bridge. Myocardial bridges may not provide protection against the formation of atherosclerotic plaque inside the anterior interventricular branch of the left coronary artery.

Nocturnal sleep was examined in 12 patients with degenerative diseases involving the brain stem and in 2 patients with late cerebellar cortical atrophy (LCCA). A peculiar sleep state, characterized by the concomitant appearance of a low‐voltage mixed frequency EEG, rapid eye movements (REMs) and tonic EMG in mental muscles, repeatedly appeared during nocturnal sleep in all of the 12 patients with degenerative diseases involving the brain stem and it was called stage 1‐REM after Tachibana et al.32 In 8 of the 12 patients, delirious or oneiric behavior appeared during, or soon after, the episodes of stage 1‐REM. Inner experiences reported by one of the subjects well corresponded to his behavior during the episode of stage 1‐REM. Stage 1‐REM was not observed during nocturnal sleep of the patients with LCCA. These results indicate that a degenerative lesion in the brain stem induced stage 1‐REM and delirious behavior during nocturnal sleep through abolishing muscle atonia of REM sleep and causing dissociation of the functional components characterizing REM sleep.

OBJETIVO: Analisar quantitativamente o tecido muscular esquelético de ratos com insuficiência arterial periférica induzida após treinamento de endurance. MÉTODOS: Os animais foram preparados cirurgicamente para a oclusão total da artéria femoral direita. Após o procedimento cirúrgico os ratos foram limitados a atividades na própria gaiola (sedentários, n = 10) ou submetidos a treinamento de endurance com ciclo ergômetro de forma contínua (treinados, n = 10), que consistia em caminhada 2x/dia (manhã e tarde) a 17 m/min, por 5 minutos, 5 dias/semana por 8 e 12 semanas. Os grupos foram subdivididos com seus respectivos grupos sedentários. A análise foi realizada pela observação histológica do músculo vasto medial direito após o período de teste. RESULTADOS: No grupo de animais treinados durante 8 semanas, o número médio de capilares no tecido muscular foi maior (5,2 ± 3,834) do que no grupo sedentário (0,6 ± 0,894). No grupo de animais treinados durante 12 semanas o número médio de capilares foi maior (6,8 ± 3,033) do que no grupo sedentário (3,0 ± 2,345). O número médio de capilares entre os grupos treinados de 12 e 8 semanas também foi maior no primeiro, entretanto, não estatisticamente significante. O número médio de capilares do grupo sedentário de 12 semanas foi maior (3,0 ± 2,345) do que no grupo de 8 semanas (0,6 ± 0,894). CONCLUSÃO: Em animais com insuficiência arterial periférica induzida submetidos a treinamento de endurance, há um processo de adaptação muscular com um aumento no número de capilares.

The slow potential change (spc) accompanying spreading depression (SD) was studied in rats and in a seizure-sensitive strain of Mongolian gerbil under three different experimental paradigms, each involving the use of naloxone. Gerbils undergoing electroconvulsive shock treatment displayed SD during the post-ictal phase, which was blocked by the intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of naloxone (20-50 mg kg-1). Topical application of naloxone to the exposed cortex of the anaesthetized gerbil and rat blocked the spc of SD evoked by KCl. Microiontophoretic ejection of naloxone during extracellular recordings reversed cell refractoriness following the spc, demonstrated by the observation of a maintained sensitivity to iontophoretic pulses of glutamate. The results suggest a possible involvement of naloxone-sensitive processes in the mechanism responsible for cortical SD.

Objective:To describe workers' life quality and physical activity level. Complementarily, the employees' working time in the company was associated to their physical activity level and compared to their life quality. Materials and Methods: The sample was composed by 375 workers of both genders from a national company of electrical energy in Pernambuco. Then, those workers were subdivided into two groups according to their working time in the company: up to 15 years (n=166) with age mean of 36.08±6.80 years and more than 15 years (n=209) with age mean of 55.37± 5.17 years. Statistical analysis was made using Mann Whitney and Chi-square tests with p <0.05. Results: The employees having more working time presented better levels in the physical (p<0.05), psychological (p<0.01) and environmental (p<0.05) domains. The associative analysis between the physical activity level and the working time has revealed that the workers having more working time were more physically actives (X 2 =4.617; p=0.03). Conclusion: It is concluded that most of the investigated sample has showed satisfactory levels in the quality of life and level of physical activity. As a result contrary to expectations is the fact that workers having more working time in the company have proven to be more physically active, contradicting the findings of the literature. DESCRIPTORSPhysical activity. Quality of life. Workers.http://periodicos.ufpb.br/ojs2/index.php/rbcs