21. Neural bases of age-related sensorimotor slowing in the upper and lower limbsUroš Marušič, Manca Peskar, Kevin De Pauw, Nina Omejc, Gorazd Drevenšek, Bojan Rojc, Rado Pišot, Voyko Kavcic, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: With advanced age, there is a loss of reaction speed that may contribute to an increased risk of tripping and falling. Avoiding falls and injuries requires awareness of the threat, followed by selection and execution of the appropriate motor response. Using event-related potentials (ERPs) and a simple visual reaction task (RT), the goal of our study was to distinguish sensory and motor processing in the upper- and lower-limbs while attempting to uncover the main cause of age-related behavioral slowing. Strength (amplitudes) as well as timing and speed (latencies) of various stages of stimulus- and motor-related processing were analyzed in 48 healthy individuals (young adults, n = 24, mean age = 34 years; older adults, n = 24, mean age = 67 years). The behavioral results showed a significant age-related slowing, where the younger compared to older adults exhibited shorter RTs for the upper- (222 vs. 255 ms; p = 0.006, respectively) and the lower limb (257 vs. 274 ms; p = 0.048, respectively) as well as lower variability in both modalities (p = 0.001). Using ERP indices, age-related slowing of visual stimulus processing was characterized by overall larger amplitudes with delayed latencies of endogenous potentials in older compared with younger adults. While no differences were found in the P1 component, the later components of recorded potentials for visual stimuli processing were most affected by age. This was characterized by increased N1 and P2 amplitudes and delayed P2 latencies in both upper and lower extremities. The analysis of motor-related cortical potentials (MR) revealed stronger MRCP amplitude for upper- and a non-significant trend for lower limbs in older adults. The MRCP amplitude was smaller and peaked closer to the actual motor response for the upper- than for the lower limb in both age groups. There were longer MRCP onset latencies for lower- compared to upper-limb in younger adults, and a non-significant trend was seen in older adults. Multiple regression analyses showed that the onset of the MRCP peak consistently predicted reaction time across both age groups and limbs tested. However, MRCP rise time and P2 latency were also significant predictors of simple reaction time, but only in older adults and only for the upper limbs. Our study suggests that motor cortical processes contribute most strongly to the slowing of simple reaction time in advanced age. However, late-stage cortical processing related to sensory stimuli also appears to play a role in upper limb responses in the elderly. This process most likely reflects less efficient recruitment of neuronal resources required for the upper and lower extremity response task in older adults. Keywords: aging, sensoriomotor integration, event-related potential, finger and foot responses, motor-related cortical potential Published in DiRROS: 04.05.2022; Views: 784; Downloads: 571
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22. Early biomarkers of altered renal function and orthostatic intolerance during 10-day bedrestGrazia Tamma, Annarita Di Mise, Marianna Ranieri, Mariangela Centrone, Maria Venneri, Mariagrazia D'Agostino, Angela Ferrulli, Boštjan Šimunič, Marco Vicenzo Narici, Rado Pišot, Giovanna Valenti, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Exposure to actual or simulated microgravity results in alterations of renal function, fluid redistribution, and bone loss, which is coupled to a rise of urinary calcium excretion. We provided evidence that high calcium delivery to the collecting duct reduces local Aquaporin 2 (AQP2)-mediated water reabsorption under vasopressin action, thus limiting the maximal urinary concentration to reduce calcium saturation. To investigate early renal adaptation into simulated microgravity, we investigated the effects of 10 days of strict bedrest in 10 healthy volunteers. We report here that 10 days of inactivity are associated with a transient, significant decrease (day 5) in vasopressin (copeptin) paralleled by a decrease in AQP2 excretion, consistent with an increased central volume to the heart, resulting in reduced water reabsorption. Moreover, bedrest caused a significant increase in calciuria secondary to bone demineralization paralleled by a decrease in PTH. Urinary osteopontin, a glycoprotein exerting a protective effect on stone formation, was significantly reduced during bedrest. Moreover, a significant increase in adrenomedullin (day 5), a peptide with vasodepressor properties, was observed at day 5, which may contribute to the known reduced orthostatic capacity post-bedrest. We conclude that renal function is altered in simulated microgravity and is associated with an early increase in the risk of stone formation and reduced orthostatic capacity post-bedrest within a few days of inactivity. Keywords: kidney, functions, bed rest, biomarkers, orthostatic intolerance, vasopressin, copeptin, aquaporin-2, adrenomedullin, calcium Published in DiRROS: 20.04.2022; Views: 991; Downloads: 595
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23. The differences of Slovenian and Italian daily practices experienced in the first wave of covid-19 pandemicSaša Pišot, Boštjan Šimunič, Ambra Gentile, Antonino Bianco, Gianluca Lo Coco, Rado Pišot, Patrik Drid, Ivana Milovanović, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic situation with the lockdown of public life caused serious changes in people’s everyday practices. The study evaluates the diferences between Slovenia and Italy in health-related everyday practices induced by the restrictive measures during frst wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The cross-sectional cohort study examined changes through an online survey conducted in nine European countries from April 15–28, 2020. The survey included questions from a simple activity inventory questionnaire (SIMPAQ), the European Health Interview Survey, and some other questions. To compare diference in changes between European countries we examined Italy with severe and its neighbour country Slovenia with low incidence and victims of COVID-19 epidemic. 956 valid responses from Italy (N=511; 50% males) and Slovenia (N=445; 26% males) were investigated. Results: During the survey, there was a 4.7-fold higher incidence and 12.1-fold more deaths (per 100,000) in Italy than in Slovenia. Barring periods and measures were similar, the latter more stringent in Italy. We found more changes in Italy than in Slovenia: physical inactivity increased (Italy:+65% vs. Slovenia:+21%; p<0.001), walking time decreased (Italy: -68% vs. Slovenia: -4.4%; p<0.001); physical work increased by 38% in Slovenia (p<0.001), and recreation time decreased by 37% in Italy (p<0.001). Italians reported a decrease in quality of general health, ftness level, psychological well-being, quality of life and care for own health (p<0.001); Slovenians showed a decline in psychological well-being and quality of life (p<0.001) but generally had a higher concern for their own health (p=0.005). In pooled participants, changes in eating habits (meal size and consumption of unhealthy food), age and physical inactivity were positively correlated with increases in body mass, while changes in general well-being and concern for health were negatively correlated. Conclusion: The study shows that the negative impact of COVID -19 measures is greater in Italy where the pandemic COVID -19 was more prevalent than in Slovenia with low prevalence. Additional consideration should be given to the negative impact of COVID-19 measures on some health-related lifestyle variables when implementing further measures to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Keywords: coronavirus pandemic, pandemic measures, home confinement, public health, physical activity, physical inactivity, dietary habits, eating habits, well-being Published in DiRROS: 18.02.2022; Views: 960; Downloads: 633
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24. Prehranjevalne navade športnikov v športih, kjer ima telesna sestava/masa velik pomen : končno raziskovalno poročiloKaja Teraž, Matej Kleva, Rado Pišot, 2021, final research report Keywords: športniki, telesna sestava, telesna masa, prehrana, prehranjevalne navade Published in DiRROS: 07.01.2022; Views: 1290; Downloads: 312
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25. Lower-limb muscle contractile properties, explosive power and the subjective response of elite soccer players to the Covid-19 lockdownArmin Paravlić, Boštjan Šimunič, Saša Pišot, Matej Kleva, Kaja Teraž, Matjaž Vogrin, Uroš Marušič, Rado Pišot, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: The present study examined the effects of the lockdown period on basic anthropometric measures, countermovement jumping performance, skeletal muscle contractile properties derived from tensiomyography (TMG), injury incidence, and self-assessed general well-being in elite soccer players. A total of 266 players were assessed before (PRE) and 32 players were reassessed 11 days after (POST) the COVID-19 period. Significant changes in the TMG parameters were observed POST compared to PRE: contraction time (Tc) increased from 6% to 50% in vastus lateralis [VL] (p = 0.009) and biceps femoris [BF] (p < 0.001), respectively; whereas radial displacement (Dm) increased for 19% in BF (p = 0.036) and 17% in VL (p < 0.001), respectively. Jumping performance remained unchanged from PRE to POST In addition, athletes rated the lockdown period as a positive event and felt psychologically better during the lockdown, primarily because they spent more time with family members and friends. Although there were no differences in any of the variables describing lower limb muscle power following the two-month lockdown, the altered contractile properties of the assessed muscles suggest suboptimal conditioning of the football players. Keywords: football, male football, power, explosive power, tensiomyography, coronavirus, covid-19, pandemics, lockdown Published in DiRROS: 06.01.2022; Views: 971; Downloads: 593
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26. Možganski marker senzomotorične učinkovitosti za optimizacijo športnih dosežkov pri igrah z loparji : končno poročilo o rezultatih raziskaveLuka Šlosar, Uroš Marušič, Boštjan Šimunič, Rado Pišot, 2021, final research report Keywords: šport, športne igre, tenis, namizni tenis, badminton, športni dosežki, senzomotorična učinkovitost, možganski markerji Published in DiRROS: 17.12.2021; Views: 1015; Downloads: 313
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27. The aging muscle in experimental bed rest : ǂa ǂsystematic review and meta-analysisFilippo Giorgio Di Girolamo, Nicola Fiotti, Zoran Milanović, Roberta Situlin, Filippo Mearelli, Pierandrea Vinci, Boštjan Šimunič, Rado Pišot, Marco Vicenzo Narici, Gianni Biolo, 2021, review article Abstract: Background: Maintaining skeletal muscle mass and function in aging is crucial for preserving the quality of life and health. An experimental bed rest (BR) protocol is a suitable model to explore muscle decline on aging during inactivity. Objective: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was, therefore, to carry out an up-to-date evaluation of bed rest, with a specific focus on the magnitude of effects on muscle mass, strength, power, and functional capacity changes as well as the mechanisms, molecules, and pathways involved in muscle decay. Design: This was a systematic review and meta-analysis study. Data sources: We used PubMed, Medline; Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane library, all of which were searched prior to April 23, 2020. A manual search was performed to cover bed rest experimental protocols using the following key terms, either singly or in combination: %Elderly Bed rest,% %Older Bed rest,% %Old Bed rest,% %Aging Bed rest,% %Aging Bed rest,% %Bed-rest,% and %Bedrest%. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies: The inclusion criteria were divided into four sections: type of study, participants, interventions, and outcome measures. The primary outcome measures were: body mass index, fat mass, fat-free mass, leg lean mass, cross-sectional area, knee extension power, cytokine pattern, IGF signaling biomarkers, FOXO signaling biomarkers, mitochondrial modulation biomarkers, and muscle protein kinetics biomarkers. Results: A total of 25 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, while 17 of them were included in the meta-analysis. In total, 118 healthy elderly volunteers underwent 5-, 7-, 10-, or 14-days of BR and provided a brief sketch on the possible mechanisms involved. In the very early phase of BR, important changes occurred in the skeletal muscle, with significant loss of performance associated with a lesser grade reduction of the total body and muscle mass. Meta-analysis of the effect of bed rest on total body mass was determined to be small but statistically significant (ES = %0.45, 95% CI: %0.72 to %0.19, P < 0.001). Moderate, statistically significant effects were observed for total lean body mass (ES = %0.67, 95% CI: %0.95 to %0.40, P < 0.001) after bed rest intervention. Overall, total lean body mass was decreased by 1.5 kg, while there was no relationship between bed rest duration and outcomes (Z = 0.423, p = 672). The meta-analyzed effect showed that bed rest produced large, statistically significant, effects (ES = %1.06, 95% CI: %1.37 to %0.75, P < 0.001) in terms of the knee extension power. Knee extension power was decreased by 14.65 N/s. In contrast, to other measures, meta-regression showed a significant relationship between bed rest duration and knee extension power (Z = 4.219, p < 0.001). Moderate, statistically significant, effects were observed after bed rest intervention for leg muscle mass in both old (ES = %0.68, 95% CI: %0.96 to %0.40, P < 0.001) and young (ES = %0.51, 95% CI: %0.80 to %0.22, P < 0.001) adults. However, the magnitude of change was higher in older (MD = %0.86 kg) compared to younger (MD = %0.24 kg) adults. Conclusion: Experimental BR is a suitable model to explore the detrimental effects of inactivity in young adults, old adults, and hospitalized people. Changes in muscle mass and function are the two most investigated variables, and they allow for a consistent trend in the BR-induced changes. Mechanisms underlying the greater loss of muscle mass and function in aging, following inactivity, need to be thoroughly investigated. Keywords: bed rest, aging, muscles, muscle physiopathology, muscle function Published in DiRROS: 26.08.2021; Views: 1858; Downloads: 1090
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28. A randomized crossover trial on the acute cardiovascular demands during flywheel exerciseDamir Zubac, Vladimir Ivančev, Zoran Valić, Rado Pišot, Cécil J. W. Meulenberg, Irhad Trozic, Nandu Goswami, Boštjan Šimunič, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: In a randomized crossover trial, we examined whether age plays a role in the mean arterial pressure (MAP) response during a vigorous flywheel exercise of varying load. We hypothesized that the magnitude of increase in the MAP during the flywheel exercise would increase in proportion to advancing age, thereby imposing a significant challenge to the cardiovascular system. A total of 30 participants of both sexes (age range from 20%55 y, 37% women) underwent a detailed medical examination, and their maximal oxygen uptake was determined. They performed a squat exercise (2 sets % 7 repetitions) on a flywheel ergometer at three randomly assigned moments of inertia set at 0.025, 0.05, and 0.075 kg m2, while the cardiovascular response was continuously recorded via a Task force monitor. Compared to the resting values, robust rises in the MAP were observed during all three flywheel loads, reaching the highest value of 179 % 4 mmHg (p = 0.001) during the highest load. In parallel, the cardiac index (cardiac output normalized by the body surface area) was two-fold greater during all the flywheel loads compared to rest, and at a high load, exclusively, the total peripheral resistance increased by 11% (p = 0.001). The rise in heart rate compensated for a load-dependent drop in the stroke index (stroke volume normalized by the body surface area). In our study population, no correlations were observed between the relative increase in the MAP and the participants% age for the three flywheel loads. The present findings suggest that the larger moments of inertia impose a substantial burden to the cardiovascular system, without apparent associated age-differences of the relative magnitude of MAP rise throughout the exercise. Keywords: yo-yo exercise, oxygen uptake, muscles loading, blood pressure, krvni tlak, flow mediate dilation Published in DiRROS: 05.07.2021; Views: 1256; Downloads: 1356
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29. Neuromuscular junction instability and altered intracellular calcium handling as early determinants of force loss during unloading in humansElena Monti, Carlo Reggiani, Martino V. Franchi, Luana Toniolo, Marco Sandri, Andrea Armani, Sandra Zampieri, Boštjan Šimunič, Rado Pišot, Marco Vicenzo Narici, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: Unloading induces rapid skeletal muscle atrophy and functional decline. Importantly, force is lost at a much higher rate than muscle mass. We aimed to investigate the early determinants of the disproportionate loss of force compared to that of muscle mass in response to unloading. Ten young participants underwent 10 days of bed rest (BR). At baseline (BR0) and at 10 days (BR10), quadriceps femoris (QF) volume (VOL) and isometric maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) were assessed. At BR0 and BR10 blood samples and biopsies of vastus lateralis (VL) muscle were collected. Neuromuscular junction (NMJ) stability and myofibre innervation status were assessed, together with single fibre mechanical properties and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium handling. From BR0 to BR10, QFVOL and MVC decreased by 5.2% (P = 0.003) and 14.3% (P < 0.001), respectively. Initial and partial denervation was detected from increased neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM)-positive myofibres at BR10 compared with BR0 (+3.4%, P = 0.016). NMJ instability was further inferred from increased C-terminal agrin fragment concentration in serum (+19.2% at BR10, P = 0.031). Fast fibre cross-sectional area (CSA) showed a trend to decrease by 15% (P = 0.055) at BR10, while single fibre maximal tension (force/CSA) was unchanged. However, at BR10 SR Ca2+ release in response to caffeine decreased by 35.1% (P < 0.002) and 30.2% (P < 0.001) in fast and slow fibres, respectively, pointing to an impaired excitation%contraction coupling. These findings support the view that the early onset of NMJ instability and impairment in SR function are eligible mechanisms contributing to the greater decline in muscle force than in muscle size during unloading. Keywords: Ca2+ dynamics, muscle atrophy, neuromuscular junction instability, sarcoplasmic reticulum, single fibre atrophy, single fibre contractile impairment, unloading Published in DiRROS: 16.06.2021; Views: 1370; Downloads: 1233
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30. Higher neural demands on stimulus processing after prolonged hospitalization can be mitigated by a cognitively stimulating environmentUroš Marušič, Rado Pišot, Voyko Kavcic, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: Prolonge d periods of complete physical inactivity or bed rest trigger various alterations in the functional and metabolic levels of the human body. However, bed rest-related adaptations of the central nervous system are less known and thoroughly studied. The aim of this study was to investigate brain electrophysiological changes using event-related potentials (ERPs) after 14 days of bed rest and 12 consecutive sessions of computerized cognitive training (CCT). Sixteen older (Mage= 60 years) healthy volunteers were randomly divided into a CCT treatment group and an active control group. All participants performed ERP measurements based on the foveal visual presentation of a circle on a black background before and after bed rest. After 14 days of bed rest, participants in the control group showed increased peak P1 amplitude (p = .012), decreased P1 latency (p = .024), and increased P2 amplitude (p = .036), while the CCT group also showed decreased P1 latency (p = .023) and decreased P2 latency (p = .049). Our results suggest that, even from a central adaptation perspective, prolonged periods of physical inactivity or bed rest trigger additional neural recruitment and should therefore be minimized, and that CCT may serve as a tool to mitigate this. Future research should focus on other aspects of central nervous system adaptation following periods of immobilization/hospitalization to improve our knowledge of infl uence of physical inactivity and its eff ects on cortical activity and to develop appropriate countermeasures to mitigate functional dysregulation. Keywords: aging, physical inactivity, immobilization, electroencephalography, EEG, computerized cognitive training Published in DiRROS: 13.05.2021; Views: 1358; Downloads: 979
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