Impact of Muscle Afferent Feedback During Exercise in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2012-01-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Recently, direct evidences point to the contributing role of peripheral muscle fatigue in
exercise tolerance among patients with COPD. However, the physiological mechanisms by which
peripheral muscle fatigue impairs exercise tolerance are still unknown, as factors regulating
peripheral muscle fatigue in COPD may be complex. One possible link between limb muscle
fatigue and exercise intolerance could be enhanced afferent signals from the active limb
muscles to the central command, thereby limiting central motor output and eventually leading
to exercise termination.
A direct method to investigate the regulation of peripheral muscle fatigue during exercise in
patients with COPD is the blockade of peripheral neural afferents via lumbar anesthesia.
Consequently, investigating the interplay between the peripheral muscular component and the
central motor command during self-paced exercise could shed light on the regulation of
peripheral muscle fatigue in COPD and its implication in exercise intolerance.