Clark B C
Brian C. Clark, Ph.D. Ohio University, Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI), 250 Irvine Hall, Athens, OH 45701, USA, Phone: 740.593.2354, Email:
J Frailty Aging. 2019;8(1):7-9. doi: 10.14283/jfa.2018.35.
Sarcopenia was originally conceptualized as the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass. Over the ensuing decades, the conceptual definition of sarcopenia has changed to represent a condition in older adults that is characterized by declining muscle mass and function, with "function" most commonly conceived as muscle weakness and/or impaired physical performance (e.g., slow gait speed). Findings over the past 15-years, however, have demonstrated that changes in grip and leg extensor strength are not primarily due to muscle atrophy per se, and that to a large extent, are reflective of declines in the integrity of the nervous system. This article briefly summarizes findings relating to the complex neuromuscular mechanisms that contribute to reductions in muscle function associated with advancing age, and the implications of these findings on the development of effective therapies.
肌肉减少症最初被定义为与年龄相关的骨骼肌质量损失。在随后的几十年里，肌肉减少症的概念定义发生了变化，以代表老年人中一种以肌肉质量和功能下降为特征的状况，其中“功能”最常见的理解是肌肉无力和/或身体表现受损（例如，步态速度缓慢）。然而，过去15年的研究结果表明，握力和腿部伸肌力量的变化并非主要源于肌肉萎缩本身，而且在很大程度上反映了神经系统完整性的下降。本文简要总结了与复杂神经肌肉机制相关的研究结果，这些机制导致与年龄增长相关的肌肉功能下降，以及这些研究结果对有效治疗方法开发的影响。
