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Muscular Dystorphy And Exercise

Exercise and Muscular Weakness
2
Abstract
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the most severe form of Muscular Dystrophy. It affects
male children between the ages of 2 through 6 and is most prevalent to those who meat these
criteria. 36 total subjects will be used in this research; 16 patients that are diagnosed with
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy by a muscle biopsy and 20 control subjects. Subjects will be
selected based on disease duration, which is defined as the number of years from symptoms onset.
The main focus throughout this case-control study is to focus on the relationship between exercise
and its effect on each subject’s muscular weakness. The four main types of exercises that will be
assessed are: Level Walking, Step Ascending, Squatting, and Arm Movements. The assessment
tool devised in this study should provide suitable information in terms of both motor capacity and
impairment severity of each patient diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. If training is
performed to those patients in advanced stages of the muscle disease, a small amount of positive
effects can be expected, while training will be much more effective and will give rise to much
more positive effects to those patients who are in the early stages of the muscle disease. Results
may not agree to those that have been performed previously on non-human subjects (MDX mice),
but this difference could be held accountable for the different limitations. Although not to a great
extent, the effective use of these exercises can help reduce muscle regression. Further research
should be performed with these same exercises, but should emphasize an increase in trial time,
exceeding 5 years. Emphasis should also be made on increased intensity amount in order to
differentiate from the lower intensity exercises performed.
Exercise and Muscular Weakness
3
The Effect of Low-intensity Exercise on Patients Diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
It has been debated for many years as to...