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 To
view Dr. Clark's publications please link to
PubMed.
Please note that there is more than one BC Clark
referenced on MedLine and as such not all of the
referenced articles were published by Dr. Clark.
The overarching aim of my research
is to determine the neuromuscular mechanisms that
mediate acute adjustments and chronic adaptations in
response to changes in physical activity and under
pathological conditions. The goal of this
work is to develop effective and
implementable interventions that increase muscle
function (e.g., muscle strength, motor control,
fatigue-resistance) and physical performance in
older adults, and/or patients with orthopedic and
neurologic disabilities for preventative and
rehabilitation medicine. We use a combination of
experimental techniques to examine the functional
and physiological properties of human muscle and
nerve.
Within this scope my laboratory maintains
programmatic efforts in three focused areas: 1.
Neurologic &
muscular mechanisms of reduced muscle function
associated with disuse, aging, & sex. 2.
Development of
therapeutic and interventional strategies to promote
neuromuscular function. 3. Lumbar
paraspinal muscle function and low back pain. |
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 Programmatic Area 1. Neurologic & muscular
mechanisms of reduced muscle function associated
with disuse, aging, & sex.
The
fundamental question this work attempts to address
is: ‘What are the physiologic mechanisms of muscle
weakness and reduced muscle performance?’
Understanding the mechanisms of muscle dysfunction
is crucial to the development of targeted and
effective interventions. As such, this research has
clinical applications to geriatric medicine (e.g.,
sarcopenia), orthopedics and rehabilitation medicine
(e.g., cast immobilization), as well as space
exploration (e.g., disuse atrophy). We take a
comprehensive approach and use a combination of
experimental techniques to examine the physiologic
mechanisms associated with changes in neuromuscular
function starting at the level of the brain and
proceeding down to the level of muscle fibers. Some
of these techniques are classic within my field
(e.g., electromyography, electrically-evoked muscle
contractile properties), whereas others are highly
innovative. With regards to the innovative aspects
of this work— to study the neurologic mechanisms of
muscle performance we employ two highly novel and
specialized techniques. Specifically, we use i)
paired-pulse transcranial magnetic brain stimulation
to examine intracortical excitability, and
cervicomedullary junction stimulation to examine
alpha-motorneuron excitability. The research
endeavors within this programmatic effort are
currently supported by grant funding from the
National Institutes of Health, and have previously
been supported by the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration. |
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 Programmatic Area 2. Development of
therapeutic and interventional strategies to promote
neuromuscular function. The
fundamental question this work attempts to address
is: ‘What therapeutic and interventional strategies
can be employed to promote function of the nervous
and/or muscular system?’ The central focus of this
work surrounds developing novel, cost-effective
strategies to induce muscle growth (hypertrophy).
Muscle wasting includes a wide variety of clinical
syndromes, and thus has clinical applications in
many fields. For example, muscle wasting is
well-known to occur in association with aging (sarcopenia),
many types of cancer (cachexia), as well as
following prolonged periods of physical inactivity
(e.g., post-surgery). Our most recent work has
centered on determining the safety and efficacy of
novel low-intensity exercise protocols performed
with modest levels of vascular occlusion (blood flow
restricted exercise) for promoting muscle strength
and endurance adaptation and for inducing muscle
hypertrophy. In recent years we have also expanded
this focus area to include investigations on a rare
balance disorder (Mal de Debarquement Syndrome).
Presently, there is no cure, no effective treatment
strategy, no diagnostic test, or even a known
biomarker for this disorder. Accordingly, we are
currently working to gain an understanding of the
pathophysiology of this disorder with the long-term
goal being to develop an effective interventional
strategy to resolve or reduce symptoms. The
research endeavors within this programmatic effort
are currently supported by grant funding from the MdDS Balance Disorder Foundation, and have
previously been funded by the American College of
Sports Medicine. |
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 Programmatic Area 3. Lumbar spine muscle
function and low back pain. The
fundamental question this work attempts to address
is: ‘What are the mechanisms determining fatigue and
muscle performance in the lumbar musculature, and
what are the mechanisms of action of treatment
interventions for low back pain?’ This work is
clinically significant because low back pain is one
of— if not the— most ubiquitous medical condition
afflicting our society at an economic cost of ~ $90
billion/year. I have had an interest in studying
the trunk muscles dating back to my early days as a
graduate student. However, due to technical
limitations in studying neuromuscular physiology of
these particular muscles at this time I transitioned
my work away from those focused on the axial
skeletal to those focused on the muscles of the
appendicular skeleton. Since arriving at Ohio
University, collaborations and interest from several
scientists and clinicians on the physiology
surrounding low back pain has led me back to this
research foci, and over the past several years my
laboratory has begun to pioneer new techniques that
can be applied to study the muscles of the lumbar
spine. For example, in one of our recent studies we
utilized muscle functional magnetic resonance
imaging to examine the spatial pattern of muscle
activation in individuals with low back pain by
quantifying the transverse relaxation time (T2) of
the low back muscles. Additionally, we have
developed a paired-pulse transcranial magnetic
stimulation protocol as well as a technique to
quantify the short-latency stretch reflex that can
be applied to the low back muscles, which now
permits us to studying the basic physiology, the
pathology of low back pain, as well as the
mechanisms of action of treatment interventions.
Grant funding from the Osteopathic Heritage
Foundations and the American Osteopathic Association
currently supports the research endeavors within
this programmatic effort. |
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