Technique Measures ‘Postural Sway’ to Diagnose Neuromuscular Disorders

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Each person has some component of postural sway. Even if you are standing still, there will always be some sort of fluctuation. However, a new technique developed by researchers from Purdue University may be able to detect and diagnose neuromuscular disorders such as Multiple sclerosis (MS) or impairment those suffer from after being concussed by measuring “limit cycle oscillations” (LCOs). LCOs occur when there is an excessive time delay in neuromuscular response which could then indicate impairment. Findings in this study indicate that 67 percent of people that participated that were diagnosed with MS displays LCOs compared to 8 percent for controls. 44 percent of concussed athletes exhibited LCOs compared to 0 percent for controls. However, one athlete still exhibited LCOs later after returning to play which indicated he still has some sort of impairment from the concussion. “LCOs are not only key to understanding postural instability, but may also have important implications for the detection of neuromuscular deficiencies,” said Chagdes, a former Purdue doctoral student. To read more on this study, click here

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