Neurophysiological relationship of neuromuscular fatigue and stress disorder in PTSD patients

• Published in: Journal of bodywork and movement therapies Vol. 24; no. 4; pp. 386 - 394
• Main Authors: Sarabzadeh, Mostafa, Soleimanifar, Manijeh, Helalizadeh, Masoumeh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2020
• Subjects: Electromyography; Exercise; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Muscle Fatigue; Neurophysiology; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Electromyography; Muscle fatigue; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Neurophysiology
• ISSN: 1360-8592; 1532-9283
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2020.06.041

Apart from mental disorders, other complications that have been reported in some patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), include physical pain and being quick to fatigue, which can severely affect the patients’ daily life. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the relationship between PTSD and physical fatigue in people with PTSD. 18 military men with (n = 9) and without PTSD (n = 9), with an age range of 45–60 years, volunteered to participate. They were randomly assigned into two groups: PTSD and non-PTSD groups. Recording of the surface electromyography (EMG) in a specific muscle was conducted twice in both groups, once at baseline and then again after a single session of fatiguing exercise. Data were analyzed by ANOVA with repeated measure (2✕2) at the significance level of 0.05. Results showed that there was a significant main effect of intervention on electrical activity and neural conduction variables in the PTSD group (p = 0.04, p = 0.02). There was also an effect of time for the both variables (P < 0.001). Stress disorders may affect the time to fatigue in PTSD patients and subsequently cause some difficulties in their daily life. •Considerable difference between PTSD and non PTSD groups in electroneuromyography after fatiguing exercise.•EMG based muscle fatigue seems not to be considered as primary complication in patients with PTSD.•Exercise-induced neuromuscular fatigue appears to lead to an early performance loss in patients with PTSD.