Scholarly record

DIFFERENCES OF NEUROLOGICAL PATTERNS AT ATHLETES

G. Cosma, M. L. Calina, L. B. Calinescu, O. Neamtu, D. E. Bieru

Abstract

Background Our research aim was to emphasized different neurological patterns at athletes, by evaluating the parameters of somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) and compare the obtained results, in order to demonstrate the influence of specific professional training over the cortex. Methods The tested subjects were a group of 21 male athletes, with an average age of 19 years, which practiced fencing or handball, for at least 6 years, homogeneous regarding age, height, weight and training regime. We used the Nihon Kohden Neuropack MEB-9100 device, to record ad measure the responses obtained by stimulating the median nerve in the fist articulation (radial-carpal) bilaterally and successively, at all investigated sportsmen. Results From the multitude of SEP parameters provided by the analysis of recorded tracks, the values of waves latencies and those of inter-waves latency intervals were kept and statistically processed. Was revealed the existence of higher values of waves latencies, for the entire group, obtained by stimulating the right median nerve, compared to those obtained by stimulating the left hand, although subjects were right handed, probably the effect of dominant member infra-clinic lesions. Also, was showed a positive left-right correlation for the wave latencies originated in the sub-cortical levels and specific cortical and a high left-right correlation for waves and inter-wave intervals, originated in the cortical non-specific areas, of association, a location more functionally and plasticity changed by specific sports training. Conclusions The research is a complex study of the influence, of physical effort characteristic to certain categories of athletes, emphasized by different obtained neurological patterns, realized by using modern, functional exploration methods, as somatosensory evoked potentials.

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