Research Article: Targeting Sarcopenia as an Objective Clinical Outcome in the Care of Children with Spinal Cord-Related Paralysis: A Clinician’s View
Abstract:
Muscle loss is consistently associated with immobility and paralysis and triggers significant metabolic and functional changes. The negative effects of sarcopenia are amplified in children who are in the process of building their muscle mass as part of development. Because muscle mass loss is consistently associated with increased morbidity and mortality throughout life, optimizing the size and health of muscles following a neurologic injury is an objective target for therapeutic interventions. This review hypothesizes that muscle mass correlates with functional outcomes in children with paralysis related to spinal cord-related neurologic deficits. We propose that the measurement of muscle mass in this population can be used as an objective outcome for clinical long-term care. Finally, some practical clinical approaches to improving muscle mass are presented.
Introduction:
Neuromuscular paralysis is characterized by muscle weakness and an inability to perform and/or control motor tasks. If persistent, it leads to muscle atrophy related to both neurologic injury and functional immobility. Depending on the etiology of paralysis, there are additional pathophysiologic mechanisms that can affect muscle health, like paracrine, endocrine, and metabolic changes. The muscle cell is a metabolic powerhouse with an essential role in the carbohydrate and lipid processing in the body, leading to…
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