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Background: An increased number of breast cancer patients are challenged by acute and persistent treatment side effects. Oncology guidelines have been establishing physical exercise to counteract several treatment-related toxicities throughout cancer care. However, evidence regarding the optimal dose-response, feasibility, and the minimal resistance exercise volume and/or intensity remains unclear. The ABRACE Study will assess the impact of different resistance training volumes (i.e., single or multiple sets) combined with aerobic exercise on physical and psychological outcomes of breast cancer patients undergoing primary treatment. Methods: This study is a randomized, controlled, three-armed parallel trial. A total of 84 participants, aged ≥18 years, with breast cancer stages I-III, initiating adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (≤50% of sessions completed) will be randomized to multiple sets resistance training plus aerobic training group, single set resistance training plus aerobic training group or control group. Neuromuscular and cancer-related fatigue (primary outcomes), muscle strength, muscle thickness, muscle quality by echo intensity, body composition, cardiorespiratory capacity, functional performance, upper-body endurance and quality of life will be measured before and after the 12-week intervention. Our analysis will follow the intention-to-treat approach and per-protocol criteria, with additional sub-group analysis. Discussion: Findings support prescribing exercise during chemotherapy for breast cancer and elucidate the potential role of different resistance training volumes as a management strategy for physical and psychological impairments in women with early-stage breast cancer. Our main hypothesis is for superiority in physical and psychological outcomes for both training groups compared to the control group, with no difference between single or multiple sets groups. Trial registration: Clinical trials NCT03314168.
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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate learning results of critical care physiotherapists participating in a muscle ultrasound (MUS) educational program. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: A custom-made 20-hour MUS course was performed over a 2-week time period, including knobs familiarization, patient positioning, anatomic landmarks, image acquisition, and limb muscle measurements. PARTICIPANTS: Nineteen critical care physiotherapists with little to no prior experience in ultrasound (N=19). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Theoretical knowledge, hands-on skills acquisition, and satisfaction were assessed. Inter- and intrarater reliability on landmarks, thickness, and pennation angle of quadriceps between participants was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Reliability among instructors measured prior to the course was also reported as a reference. RESULTS: The percentage score (mean±SD) of knowledge questionnaires was 69±11 (pre-course), 89±10 (post-course), and 92±9 (hands-on skills). Course satisfaction scores ranged from 90%-100%. Pooled interrater reliability of participants (median ICC [interquartile range]) was good (0.70 [0.59-0.79]) for thickness, moderate (0.47 [0.46-0.92]) for landmarks, and absent (0.00 [0.00-0.05]) for pennation angle and the intrarater reliability was good (0.76 [0.51-0.91]) for thickness and weak (0.35 [0.29-0.52]) for pennation angle. Interrater ICC values for instructors were excellent (0.90) for thickness, good (0.67) for landmarks, and moderate (0.41) for pennation angle and intrarater ICC values were excellent (0.94) for thickness and good (0.75) for pennation angle. CONCLUSIONS: Although our sample was quite small and homogeneous, increased theoretical knowledge, high hands-on performance acquisition, and good satisfaction of physiotherapists were observed. Reliability was moderate to excellent for thickness and landmarks and absent to weak for pennation angle. Landmarking and pennation angle remain challenges for physiotherapist training in the application of MUS. Further studies are needed to identify variables that could modify reliability during MUS training.
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INTRODUCTION: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a preventive intervention for muscle wasting in patients with aneurysms during the acute phase; however, its efficacy still remains unclear. In this case study, we report the effects of NMES on quadriceps muscle wasting for a patient with ruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysms during the acute phase. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 66-year-old woman was admitted because of a ruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysm resulting from intracerebral hematoma with subarachnoid hemorrhage. The following day, the patient started undergoing 60-120-min NMES treatment for both her quadriceps muscles, which was continued for 10 days in 2 weeks. Quadriceps muscle thickness as measured by ultrasonography was decreased in both sides (26% and 35% for the right and left sides, respectively). The compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude in the peroneal nerve was also decreased in both sides (73% vs 76%). DISCUSSION: The lack of efficacy of NMES in preventing muscle wasting is the decreased CMAP amplitude in this patient, which showed the possibility of existence of critical illness polyneuropathy. CONCLUSION: NMES had no effect on quadriceps muscle wasting in a patient with ruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysms who had decreased CMAP amplitude in the peroneal nerve during the acute phase. NMES is not effective for patients with peripheral nerve conduction abnormalities.