Neuromusuclar Adaptations in the Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease

Completed

• Conditions: Muscular Weakness; Arthritis, Rheumatoid
• Interventions: Diagnostic Test: Neuromuscular and functional capacity tests

• Registration Number: NCT03543488
• Lead Sponsor: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

Brief Summary

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes joint inflammation and progressive joint destruction. Rheumatoid cachexia is one of the structural manifestations of RA, and consists of a reduction in muscle mass, due to an increased muscle protein catabolism induced by inflammatory cytokines. This muscle mass loss generates an impairment in physical function and functional capacity in RA patients. The aim of study was to verify neuromuscular and functional responses in middle-aged women with RA compared to paired healthy women.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2013-06-01
• Primary Completion: 2013-11-20
• Study Completion: 2014-03-03
• Status Verified: 2018-05
• Study First Submitted: 2018-05-08
• Study First Submitted QC: 2018-05-18
• Last Update Submitted: 2018-05-18
• Study First Posted: 2018-06-01
• Last Update Posted: 2018-06-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 70

Inclusion Criteria

• RA patients with a class I and II RA diagnosis according to the American Rheumatism Association's 1987 revised criteria, were recruited from a university hospital's rheumatology clinic.

Exclusion Criteria

• presence of any cardiovascular, neuromuscular and metabolic diseases or severe limitations in mobility

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients	Neuromuscular and functional capacity tests	Forty women (range 25-75 years), with a class I and II RA diagnosis according to the American Rheumatism Association's 1987 revised criteria, were recruited from a university hospital's rheumatology clinic. Exclusion criteria included the presence of any cardiovascular, neuromuscular and metabolic diseases or severe limitations in mobility. Five patients were excluded for not attending the inclusion criteria, leading to a final number of 35 RA patients.
Healthy Women	Neuromuscular and functional capacity tests	Thirty-five healthy women, age- and body size-matched to the RA patients, were recruited as controls (CG).

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Knee-Extensor Muscular Strength	Only one day.	Maximal knee-extensor muscle strength (isometric and concentric tests), in different angles and velocities were measured with a Biodex System 3 dynamometer (Biodex Medical Systems, Shirley, NY, USA). A 2-min interval was observed between contractions. We used the peak torque of each maximal test to analysis.
Muscle architecture and tendon parameters	Only one day.	An ultrasonography system was used to determine VL and RF muscle thickness, pennation angle and fascicle length. Muscle architecture measurements were obtained with the volunteer seated in the dynamometer, during isometric contraction at 90° of knee flexion. Muscle thickness was considered the distance between deep and superficial aponeuroses. The best fascicle in each image was used for pennation angle and fascicle length analysis. Pennation angle was calculated as the angle between the muscle fascicle and the deep aponeurosis, whereas fascicle length was measured as the length of the fascicular path between the two aponeuroses. Furthermore, patellar tendon cross-section area was measured with probe perpendicular to tendon during isometric contractions.
Functional Capacity	Only one day.	Timed Up and Go test
Quadriceps muscle activation	Only one day.	Vastus Lateralis and Rectus Femoris muscle activation during strength tests