Dustin J Oranchuk, Katie L Boncella, Daniella Gonzalez-Rivera, Michael O Harris-Love
{"title":"Sonographic image texture features in muscle tissue-mimicking material reduce variability introduced by probe angle and gain settings compared to traditional echogenicity.","authors":"Dustin J Oranchuk, Katie L Boncella, Daniella Gonzalez-Rivera, Michael O Harris-Love","doi":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13511","DOIUrl":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13511","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cost-effective and portable ultrasonography offers a promising approach for monitoring skeletal muscle damage and quality in many contexts. However, echogenicity analysis relies on precise transducer orientations and machine parameters, posing challenges for data pooling across different raters and settings. Muscle texture analysis offers a potential means of reducing inter-rater and machine-setting variability. Scans were assessed at nine angles, controlled using a custom transducer shell and software. Scans were performed three times, and different gains were applied. All scans were performed on a muscle tissue-mimicking phantom to eliminate biological variability. Intra-angle and intra-gain variability and internal consistency were assessed via coefficient of variation (CV%) and Cronbach's alpha (αc). Spearman's (ρ) correlations were employed to determine the relationship between echogenicity and each texture feature. Entropy (angle: CV=2.7-7.6%; gain: CV=10.5%; αc=0.86), and inverse difference moment (angle: CV=3.7-9.8%; gain: CV=16.5%; αc=0.87) were less variable than echogenicity (angle: CV=6.4-19.4%; gain: CV=39.0%; αc=0.82). Angular second moment (angle: CV=17.9-116.6%; gain: CV=71.6%; αc=0.68), contrast (angle: CV=7.8-14.7%; gain: CV=41.8%;αc=0.75), and correlation (angle: CV=9.0-13.5%; gain: CV=28.6%; αc=0.49) features were generally more variable. Entropy (ρ=0.82-0.98, p≤0.011) and inverse difference moment (ρ=-0.98--0.83, p≤0.008), were more strongly correlated with echogenicity than angular second moment (ρ=-0.98--0.77, p≤0.016), contrast (ρ=0.53-0.98, p≤0.15), and correlation (ρ=-0.25--0.19, p=0.520-0.631). Entropy and inverse difference moment features may allow data sharing between laboratory and clinical settings with ultrasound machine parameters and raters of varying skill levels. Clinical and mechanistic studies are required to determine if texture features can replace echogenicity assessments.</p>","PeriodicalId":46459,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Translational Myology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12265416/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143755057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rossana Gómez-Campos, Rubén Vidal-Espinoza, Evandro Lazari, Camilo Urra-Albornoz, Luis Felipe Castelli Correia de Campos, Margot Rivera-Portugal, Marco Cossio-Bolaños
{"title":"Relationship between body mass index and lower limb power in children and adolescents.","authors":"Rossana Gómez-Campos, Rubén Vidal-Espinoza, Evandro Lazari, Camilo Urra-Albornoz, Luis Felipe Castelli Correia de Campos, Margot Rivera-Portugal, Marco Cossio-Bolaños","doi":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13509","DOIUrl":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13509","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Excess body weight is associated with increased mortality, low physical fitness and low levels of physical activity. The objective this study to verify the linear and nonlinear (quadratic) relationships between Body Mass Index (BMI) and lower limb strength in children and adolescents of both sexes in a region of Chile. A descriptive (cross-sectional) study was carried out in children and adolescents of school age (6 to 17 years) of both sexes. The sample size was 863 schoolchildren (500 males and 363 females). Weight, height and the Horizontal Jump test (HJ) were evaluated. BMI and BMI z -score were calculated according to age and sex. In males, the explanatory power in the linear model [R= 0.15, R2= 0.02, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE)= 39.6] is lower than the non-linear quadratic model (R= 0.22, R2= 0.05, RMSE= 39.0). In females, the explanatory power in the linear model (R= 0.12, R2= 0.02, RMSE= 23.2) is lower than the quadratic nonlinear model (R= 0.19, R2= 0.04, RMSE= 22.9). In the BMI z-score scale, males presented HJ values of: [Low BMI 145.4±39.5cm, normal 164.2±33.6cm, and high BMI 109.0±23.2cm]. In females it was: [Low BMI 108.0±23.0cm, normal 113.5±36.3cm, and elevated BMI 91.5±30.4cm]. The study verified a curvilinear relationship in the form of a parabola (quadratic) between BMI and the HJ test in children and adolescents of both sexes. Schoolchildren in the extreme BMI categories (low and high BMI) reflected low performance in the HJ in relation to school-children with normal BMI.</p>","PeriodicalId":46459,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Translational Myology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12265409/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143796698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Polyendocrinopathy and multisystem involvement are common phenotypic features of Kearns-Sayre syndrome.","authors":"Josef Finsterer","doi":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13634","DOIUrl":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13634","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dear Editor, We were interested to read the article by Amergoolov et al. on two patients with Kearns-Sayre Syndrome (KSS) due to single mtDNA deletions who had phenotypic endocrine disorders among other features.1 Patient 1, a 20-year-old female, was diagnosed with hypogonadism, diabetes and osteoporosis, and patient 2, a 22-year-old male, was diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance and osteoporosis.1 It was found that the severity of clinical manifestations increases with the size of the mtDNA deletion, but that other factors such as heteroplasmy, mtDNA duplications or pleioplasmia can also determine the severity of the disease.1 The study is impressive, but some points should be discussed. [...].</p>","PeriodicalId":46459,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Translational Myology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12265414/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143990925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Insomnia due to a dislocation storm in hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome with small fibre neuropathy and recurrent syncope.","authors":"Josef Finsterer","doi":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.12946","DOIUrl":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.12946","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To report on a patient with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) with SFN in whom frequent dislocations during sleep led to sleep deprivation.</p><p><strong>Case report: </strong>The patient is a 19-year-old female with hypermobile EDS manifested by frequent dislocations of large joints and small fiber neuropathy (SFN) presenting as recurrent syncope. The dislocations occurred spontaneously or triggered by voluntary or involuntary movements with such frequency, even during the night, that sleep was disturbed. The maximum sleep duration was between 4 and 5 hours. Bedding, analgesics, muscle relaxants and physiotherapy only marginally improved the pain and discomfort caused by the dislocations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This case demonstrates that hypermobile EDS can manifest phenotypically with insomnia due to pain and discomfort from frequent dislocations during the night. Patients with hypermobile EDS should undergo polysomnography to determine the cause of the sleep disturbance and initiate the most appropriate treatment for insomnia in a timely manner.</p>","PeriodicalId":46459,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Translational Myology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12265415/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144021454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Handgrip strength of skiers is not an ideal biomarker of a person's fitness.","authors":"Josef Finsterer","doi":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13591","DOIUrl":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13591","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dear Editor, We read with interest the article by Burtscher et al. on hand grip strength measured with a hand dynamometer at various locations along Tyrolean ski slopes in 757 recreational skiers compared to 1021 community residents.1 Most of the male subjects and half of the female subjects had higher grip strength of the dominant hand compared to the control subjects.1The grip strength of the skiers decreased with age to a similar extent as that of the reference population. The relative grip strength correlated positively with physical activity and the number of skiing days per year and negatively with body weight.1 It was concluded that hand grip strength is related to the type, amount and intensity of regular physical activity and that the results support recommendations for training or rehabilitation.1 The study is noteworthy, but several points should be discussed. [...].</p>","PeriodicalId":46459,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Translational Myology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12265407/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143774592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paul Dowling, Elisa Negroni, Capucine Trollet, Margit Zweyer, Dieter Swandulla, Kay Ohlendieck
{"title":"Serum protein biomarker signature of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.","authors":"Paul Dowling, Elisa Negroni, Capucine Trollet, Margit Zweyer, Dieter Swandulla, Kay Ohlendieck","doi":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13956","DOIUrl":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13956","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In contrast to invasive skeletal muscle biopsies and the associated complexity of tissue sampling techniques and potential detrimental side effects, the alternative application of liquid biopsy procedures has considerable advantages concerning minimal invasiveness, repeated sampling options, assay robustness and cost effectiveness. This article outlines the current status of serum biomarkers used for diagnosing and characterizing Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a primary muscle wasting disease of early childhood due to primary abnormalities in the extremely large DMD gene. Reviewed are important aspects of the discovery, characterization and diagnostic value of biofluid-based protein markers of dystrophinopathy. This includes an overview of traditional general skeletal muscle damage markers, such as creatine kinase, myoglobin and lactate dehydrogenase, which have been used for many decades in clinical applications to evaluate patients with muscular weakness. In addition, this article outlines the biochemical identification of novel biomarker candidates focusing on the usage of mass spectrometry-based proteomic surveys to establish comprehensive profiles of protein alterations in dystrophinopathy. Pathoproteomic serum markers of myonecrosis with great potential for improved patient screening, differential diagnosis, stage-specific prognosis and therapeutic monitoring include specific isoforms of muscle-derived cytosolic proteins, such as carbonic anhydrase isoform CA3 and fatty acid binding protein FABP3, as well as sarcomeric proteins, including specific isoforms of myosin light chain, myosin binding protein, troponin, and myomesin, in addition to peptide fragments derived from the giant protein titin. Biofluid-associated marker proteins of reactive myofibrosis include the extracellular matrix proteins fibronectin, osteopontin, collagen and matrix-metalloproteinases.</p>","PeriodicalId":46459,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Translational Myology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12265423/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144175287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ugo Carraro, Giorgio Fanò-Illic, Riccardo Forni, Maria Chiara Maccarone, Stefano Masiero
{"title":"Gifts for EJTM authors and readers and for PDM3 participants.","authors":"Ugo Carraro, Giorgio Fanò-Illic, Riccardo Forni, Maria Chiara Maccarone, Stefano Masiero","doi":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.14070","DOIUrl":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.14070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The summer of 2025 is approaching and the need to finalize our plans for the next few years is urgent. The next Padua Days of Muscle and Mobility Medicine (PDM3) will be held from 3 to 6 March 2026 at the Hotel Petrarca, Euganean Thermae (Padova, Italy). A preliminary flyer for 2026 PDM3 is almost ready with organizers, session schedule and keynote speakers. A new website, named Padua Muscle Days, will be soon released with all the needed information for How to Join, Registration, Accommodation, Payments and the Abstract Template for the 2026 PDM3. We hope that readers will circulate its link (www.paduamuscledays.com) among colleagues and friends. No doubt that 2026 PDM3 will be a great gift for all participants. The other novelty is the 2024 Clarivate Analytics' Impact Factor which was assigned a few days ago: 1.8. As authors who publish in other journals, but even more as reviewers, readers could contribute to making bigger a small gift. In any case, it is a gift that has been waited for decades. Four Guest Editors have done their best to make the EJTM volume 35, issue 2, 2025, a very special ssue. Indeed, it is mainly dedicated to two Thematic Sections; he first, with more works, is named Advances in Musculoskeletal and Neuromuscular Rehabilitation, by Maria Chiara Maccarone and Stefano Masiero. The second is called Generative AI for Translational Mobility Medicine, by Giorgio Fanò-Illic and Riccardo Forni, and aims to attract works that use Digital Methods for Translational Mobility Medicine. We invite the members of the EJTM editorial board and the authors of highly cited articles to follow these examples and suggest further thematic sections for the EJTM of the next decade.</p>","PeriodicalId":46459,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Translational Myology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12265417/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144318363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of estrogen and progesterone therapy on intraocular pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis study.","authors":"Behzad Safarpour Lima, Shima Sayanjali, Nir Shoham-Hazon","doi":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13497","DOIUrl":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13497","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effect of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) with estrogen and progesterone on Intraocular Pressure (IOP) in postmenopausal women, with the objective of determining whether HRT can lower IOP and potentially reduce glaucoma risk. Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted up to June 2024. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials and observational studies that reported IOP changes in postmenopausal women undergoing HRT. The pooled mean differences in IOP were calculated using both random-effects and fixed-effect models. The meta-analysis included 9 studies with a total of 1,024 participants. The pooled analysis showed a significant reduction in IOP among women receiving HRT compared to controls, with a mean difference of 3.84 mmHg (95% CI: 2.26 to 5.41, p < 0.01) in the random-effects model, and 2.36 mmHg (95% CI: 2.08 to 2.64, p < 0.01) in the fixed-effect model. Despite these significant results, there was high heterogeneity across studies (I² = 97%), likely due to variations in hormone types, dosages, and treatment durations. HRT is associated with a significant decrease in IOP in postmenopausal women, potentially offering protective benefits against glaucoma, although further research is needed to address the observed variability.</p>","PeriodicalId":46459,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Translational Myology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12265411/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144050149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Levels of catastrophizing pain and kinesiophobia in patients with osteoarthritis and their association.","authors":"Aristea Vitsa, Ioannis Moisoglou, Petros Galanis, Anastasios Merkouris, Evridiki Papastavrou, Pavlos Sarafis","doi":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13636","DOIUrl":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13636","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aim of the present study was to assess the level of catastrophizing pain and kinesiophobia in patients with osteoarthritis and to investigate the association between catastrophizing pain and kinesiophobia. This follow-up study included 170 osteoarthritis patients undergoing surgery. They completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia preoperatively (T0) and then postoperatively, at one (T1) and six months (T2). The mean score of catastrophizing pain preoperatively indicates moderate to high level of catastrophic pain. Multivariable linear regression analysis with total score of Pain Catastrophizing Scale preoperatively as the dependent variable found that increased age was associated with increased total score of Pain Catastrophizing Scale. The mean kinesiophobia score preoperatively indicates moderate to high level of kinesiophobia. Multivariable linear regression analysis with total score of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia preoperatively as the dependent variable found that increased age and increased patients' inability to manage pain (helplessness) were associated with increased total score of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia. Increased age and catastrophizing pain are predictors of kinesiophobia. Surgical interventions tend to reduce both catastrophizing pain and kinesiophobia.</p>","PeriodicalId":46459,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Translational Myology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12265413/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144052862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yasaman Zandi Mehran, Hans Michael Weber, Fateme Hoseinzade, Nahid Tafazoli Harandi, Mozhgan Ayazi, Shila Mirzadeh
{"title":"Longevity concept by regenerative medicine methods synergy: exosome therapy, functional medicine, and advanced multi-wavelengths laser therapy.","authors":"Yasaman Zandi Mehran, Hans Michael Weber, Fateme Hoseinzade, Nahid Tafazoli Harandi, Mozhgan Ayazi, Shila Mirzadeh","doi":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13540","DOIUrl":"10.4081/ejtm.2025.13540","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Regenerative medicine is one of the most important branches of medicine today and in the future and brings together all the methods to stop or even reverse the aging process. Regenerative medicine may include cellular therapies such as stem cell therapy or extracellular vesicle therapies such as exosomes and growth factor therapy. It may also involve the use of Photobiomodulation (PBM) and functional medicine treatments targets on mitochondrial medicine, to control the aging process. In this article, we have discussed the role, importance, rationale, overlap, and synergy of the joint application of these methods. Combining these regenerative medicine approaches can achieve better results in various medical indications. For longevity, any autoimmune disease, chronic disease, especially in elderly patients, this recommended combination seems to be very critical, for a higher survival rate in cell therapy methods. It is like a plant growing process that requires good quality seeds (cell therapy), light (targeted laser therapy) and good soil (functional medicine).</p>","PeriodicalId":46459,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Translational Myology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12265419/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144024297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}