'Aerobic muscle capacity in patients with Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome'

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Pending

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 60

Inclusion Criteria

Patients:
- Diagnosis of PPS according to the criteria of March of Dimes (2000)*:;a. A confirmed history of paralytic poliomyelitis characterized by an acute
illness with fever and a usually asymmetrically distributed, flaccid paresis of a varying number of muscle groups. Evidence of motor neuron loss on neurological examination with signs of residual weakness, atrophy, loss of tendon reflexes and intact sensation.
b. A period of partial or complete functional recovery after acute paralytic poliomyelitis, followed by an interval (usually 15 years or more) of stable neurologic function.
c. Gradual or sudden onset of progressive and persistent new muscle
weakness or abnormal muscle fatigability (decreased endurance), with or without generalized fatigue, muscle atrophy, or muscle and joint pain. Symptoms persist for at least a year.
d. No other medical diagnosis to explain the symptoms. (see p. 14-15 of the protocol);Control Subjects:
- Healthy volunteers, matched for age, gender, body weigth and height.;*March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. Identifying Best Practices in Diagnosis & Care Warm Springs, GA: March of Dimes International Conference on Post-Polio Syndrome. 2000.

Exclusion Criteria

Patients and control subjects:
- Disabling co-morbidity influencing outcome parameters (including cardiopulmonary disease like chest pain, arrhythmia, pacemaker, cardiac surgery, severe dyspnoea d*effort or emphysema, epileptic seizures, poorly regulated diabetes mellitus).

Study & Design

Study Type: Observational non invasive

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>Variables for peripheral muscle properties include critical torque, fatigue<br /><br>index and slope of torque decline. These will be determined with maximal<br /><br>voluntary contractions and (submaximal) electrically evoked contractions of the<br /><br>knee extensor muscles.<br /><br>Variables for aerobic exercise capacity include power output, VO2 and heart<br /><br>rate at anaerobic threshold. These will be determined during graded exercise<br /><br>testing on a cycle ergometer. </p><br>

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>Multiple measures of muscle strength and muscle activation will be determined:<br /><br>Maximal Voluntary Contraction (MVC), Voluntary Activation (VA), Peripheral<br /><br>Fatigue and Central Fatigue.</p><br>