Preliminary Results: Effect of Whole-Body Cooling in Patients with Myasthenia Gravis

Abstract

Cooling in patients with MG shows promise to decrease symptoms of weakness and fatigue, thus allowing increased muscle strength and endurance in some patients.

Does Similar Whole Body Cooling Induce Gender-Specific Attention Stability Deterioration?

“…Back, thigh, and forearm skin temperatures were monitored by surface thermistors (DM852, Ellab, Hvidovre, Denmark). The mean skin temperature (T SK ) and body temperature (T B ) (in °C) were estimated by the following equations: T SK = 0.5 Back + 0.36 Thigh + 0.14 Forearm (Burton, 1935) and T B = 0.65T RE + 0.35T SK (Mermier, Schneider, Gurney, Weingart, & Wilmerding, 2006), respectively. The T RE and T SK gradient (T RE -T SK ), as a measure of insulation, were also calculated.…”

Thermoregulatory responses to environmental toxicants: The interaction of thermal stress and toxicant exposure

“…In myasthenia gravis patients, warm temperatures may induce clinical symptoms due to direct effects on the release of ACh, endplate sensitivity, and AChE activity (Rutkove, 2001). Whole-body cooling of these patients has shown promise in decreasing the symptoms of weakness and fatigue associated with this disease (Mermier et al, 2006). In populations performing work in hot environments, increased sweat production induced by PYR treatment or OP poisoning is expected to facilitate evaporative cooling and improve heat tolerance through the maintenance of T c at non-harmful levels.…”

Evaluating the temperature effects of ice and heat tests on ptosis due to Myasthenia Gravis

“…Others have suggested that there is no real benefit from the cooling effect of the ice itself, and the only effect of the ice test is due to the intrinsic rest of the lid during the application of ice [8]. Temperature is known to affect muscle fatigue in patients with MG [9,10]. One theoretical basis for this phenomenon is that acetylcholinesterase activity is decreased with cooling [11].…”