The Effect of a Portable Electrical Muscle Stimulation on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Elderly People: Three Case Studies

Yuichi Nishikawa; Kohei Watanabe; Shuhei Kawade; Noriaki Maeda; Hirofumi Maruyama

doi:10.1177/23337214211040319

The Effect of a Portable Electrical Muscle Stimulation on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Elderly People: Three Case Studies

Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2021 Oct 19:7:23337214211040319. doi: 10.1177/23337214211040319. eCollection 2021 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Yuichi Nishikawa¹, Kohei Watanabe², Shuhei Kawade³, Noriaki Maeda⁴, Hirofumi Maruyama⁵

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Frontier Engineering, Institute of Science & Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
² Laboratory of Neuromuscular Biomechanics, School of Health and Sport Sciences, Chukyo University, Nagoya, Japan.
³ MTG, Co., Ltd, Nagoya, Japan.
⁴ Division of Sports Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Biomechanics and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
⁵ Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.

Abstract

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which plays an important role in cognitive and nerve function, is released from skeletal muscle cells into the blood by muscle contractions and/or electrical muscle stimulation (EMS). However, the influence of EMS administered by a portable device on BDNF is unclear. The purpose of this case report was to quantify the influence of EMS administered by a portable device on BDNF and physical function. Three elderly people (age, 69.7 ± 1.5 years) were included in the present study. The participants used a portable EMS device to stimulate the bilateral quadriceps muscles for 8 weeks (23 min for 5 days/week). To determine the effects of EMS, the following parameters were assessed at baseline, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks (follow-up): knee extensor strength, muscle mass of the lower limb, Berg balance score, and blood BDNF level. All outcomes improved after the EMS intervention, but the improvements did not persist for 12 weeks. These findings suggest that portable EMS is potentially useful for improving the blood BDNF level and physical function.

Keywords: aging; prevention; rehabilitation; therapy.