Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Few studies have been conducted in facial palsy and carpal tunnel syn-
drome patients to assess the efficacy of exercise interventions. From a single
small study, there is evidence that active facial exercises decrease disability in
people with chronic facial palsy and diminished the prevalence of synkinesis
in these patients (
Teixeira et al., 2011
). As for the carpal tunnel syndrome, a
systematic review of the impact of different kinds of passive mobilization on
a number of outcomes, ranging from functional ability, quality of life, and
imaging and neurophysiological assessments, negates the effectiveness of
such interventions in resolving this condition (
Page et al., 2012
). The dis-
crepancy between experimental animal studies and clinical research regard-
ing the effect of physical exercise on PNS regeneration is likely related to the
complexity of clinical cases of traumatic PNS injury, together with the dif-
ficulty in standardizing study participants and exercise protocols in clinical
and translational research.
5. CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, research conducted over the past decades has provided
convincing evidence of the neuroregenerative role of physical exercise.
Figure 6.1
illustrates some of the demonstrated actions of treadmill running
at different places, including the CNS and the PNS and reinnervating mus-
cles, and several processes underlying neuroregeneration and neuro-
plasticity. Increased locomotor activity is conceived as a stimulus that
increases neural activity in the spinal cord and axotomized neurons through
increased drive from descending pathways and from peripheral inputs, either
from regenerating sensory neurons or through propriospinal neural cir-
cuitry. This more physiological stimulation enhances axotomized neurons'
sprouting and growth and also aids in preventing secondary and clinically
relevant conditions, like neuropathic pain. Factors such as exercise intensity,
duration, and timing for initiating the exercise treatment may decisively alter
the effectiveness of physical exercise in improving outcomes after traumatic
PNS injury. In rodent models of PNS injury, manual stimulation is effective
in improving regeneration and functional recovery. In this case, manual
stimulation, or other kinds of passive exercise, seems to share the effects
of active, endurance exercise, with the advantage of being a treatment
modality that can be employed early following the traumatic PNS injury,
while also inducing less mechanical and physiological stresses. Only few clin-
ical studies investigated the role of endurance exercise, resistance training, or
