24 / 30
allied
academies
Journal of Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine
Volume 1, Issue 1
Euro Physiotherapy 2017
Notes:
Page 53
December 07-08, 2017 Rome, Italy
4
th
Euro-Global Physiotherapy Congress 2017
Skeletal muscle atrophy and hypertrophy
after spinal cord injury
Ashraf S Gorgey
Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
S
keletal muscle atrophy is one of the most prominent
changes to occur post spinal cord injury (SCI), with
thigh muscle cross-sectional area being up to 30–50%
smaller than that of able-bodied controls few weeks after
injury. Skeletal muscle atrophy has dramatic effects,
especially after motor complete SCI (i.e. no voluntary
movement below the level of injury) on several health
parameters. These parameters may include bone,
metabolic and cardiovascular health and may lead to
secondary health complications similar to obesity, type
II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, an
effective rehabilitation approach is essential to attenuate
the process of skeletal muscle atrophy and the rapid
decline in lean mass after SCI. Neuromuscular electrical
stimulation (NMES)-resistance training (RT) has been
shown to be an effective rehabilitation strategy for
producing muscle hypertrophy and decreasing fat in
individuals with SCI. The training process involves
progressively loading the strained muscle in a gradual
fashion to carry on weights for 12-16 weeks. We have
demonstrated that person with motor complete SCI
can lift ~26 lbs. without any noticeable adverse events.
Enhancing the development of metabolically active
lean muscle mass has the potential to enhance, basal
metabolic rate, glucose homeostasis and improve
lipid profile following SCI. We will demonstrate recent
evidence that highlights the significance of restoring and
maintaining lean mass on mitochondrial health, visceral
fat as well as metabolic health after SCI. We believe that
a multi-disciplinary approach of combining NMES-RT
and dietary interventions can optimize cardiometabolic
outcomes after SCI.
Biography
Ashraf S Gorgey is currently the Director of Spinal Cord Injury Research at
Hunter Holmes McGuire at VA Medical Center and Associate Professor at
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth
University. He has a Bachelor and Master degrees in Physical Therapy. He
acquired his PhD in Exercise Physiology in 2005 with special emphasis on
electrical stimulation, muscle activation and fatigue from the University of
Georgia. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan
with special focus on studying the adaptations in body composition and
metabolic profile after SCI. His research background is in Rehabilitation and
Exercise Physiology with special interest in individuals with SCI. His research
work has focused on investigating rehabilitation strategies that could improve
the quality of life in individuals with SCI and minimize the SCI health related
secondary complications. He is primarily interested in applications of electrical
stimulation and the capability of utilizing exercise intervention to evoke skeletal
muscle hypertrophy, favorable body composition and metabolic profiles in
persons with chronic SCI. He is also interested in understanding the cellular
and molecular adaptations to unloading and hypertrophy.
agorgey@gmail.comAshraf S Gorgey, J Phys Ther Sports Med 2017