The role of novel motor unit magnetic resonance imaging to investigate motor unit activity in ageing skeletal muscle.

ABSTRACT: Sarcopenia is a progressive and generalized disease, more common in older adults, which manifests as a loss of muscle strength and mass. The pathophysiology of sarcopenia is still poorly understood with many mechanisms suggested. Age associated changes to the neuromuscular architecture, including motor units and their constituent muscle fibres, represent one such mechanism. Electromyography can be used to distinguish between different myopathies and produce counts of motor units. Evidence from electromyography studies suggests that with age, there is a loss of motor units, increases to the sizes of remaining units, and changes to their activity patterns. However, electromyography is invasive, can be uncomfortable, does not reveal the exact spatial position of motor units within muscle and

SUBMITTER: Birkbeck MG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7890268 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature