Vibration detection:Its function and recent advances in medical applications

Vibrations are all around us. We can detect vibrations with sensitive skin mechanoreceptors, but our conscious awareness of the presence of vibrations is often limited. Nevertheless, vibrations play a role in our everyday life. Here, we briefly describe the function of vibration detection and how it can be used for medical applications by way of whole body vibration. Strong vibrations can be harmful, but milder vibrations can be beneficial, although to what extent and how large the clinical relevance is are still controversial. Whole body vibration can be applied via a vibrating platform, used in both animal and human research. Recent findings make clear that the mode of action is twofold: next to the rather well-known exercise (muscle) component, it also has a sensory (skin) component. Notably, the sensory (skin) component stimulating the brain has potential for several purposes including improvements in brain-related disorders. Combining these two components by selecting the optimal settings in whole body vibration has clear potential for medical applications. To realize this, the field needs more standardized and personalized protocols. It should tackle what could be considered the "Big Five" variables of whole body vibration designs: vibration amplitude, vibration frequency, method of application, session duration/frequency, and total intervention duration. Unraveling the underlying mechanisms by translational research can help to determine the optimal settings. Many systematic reviews on whole body vibration end with the conclusion that the findings are promising yet inconclusive. This is mainly because of the large variation in the "Big Five" settings between studies and incomplete reporting of methodological details hindering reproducibility. We are of the opinion that when (part of) these optimal settings are being realized, a much better estimate can be given about the true potential of whole body vibration as a medical application

Short-term effects of side-alternating Whole-Body Vibration on cognitive function of young adults

Recent research in rodents and humans revealed that Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) is beneficial for cognitive functions. However, the optimal WBV conditions are not established: contrary to vertical WBV, side-alternating WBV was not investigated before. The present study investigated the short-term effects of side-alternating WBV in standing and sitting posture on specific cognitive function of young adults. We used a balanced cross-over design. Sixty healthy young adults (mean age 21.7 ± 2.0 years, 72% female) participated. They were exposed to three bouts of two-minute side-alternating WBV (frequency 27 Hz) and three control conditions in two different sessions. In one session a sitting posture was used and in the other session a standing (semi-squat) posture. After each condition selective attention and inhibition was measured with the incongruent condition of the Stroop Color-Word Interference Test. WBV significantly (p = 0.026) improved selective attention and inhibition in the sitting posture, but not in the standing posture. The sitting posture was perceived as more comfortable, joyous and less exhaustive as compared to the standing posture. This study demonstrated that side-alternating WBV in sitting posture improves selective attention and inhibition in healthy young adults. This indicates that posture moderates the cognitive effect of WBV, although the effects are still small. Future studies should focus on the working mechanisms and further optimization of settings, especially in individuals who are unable to perform active exercise

Whole-body vibration ameliorates glial pathological changes in the hippocampus of hAPP transgenic mice, but does not affect plaque load

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the core cause of dementia in elderly populations. One of the main hallmarks of AD is extracellular amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation (APP-pathology) associated with glial-mediated neuroinflammation. Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) is a passive form of exercise, but its effects on AD pathology are still unknown.METHODS: Five months old male J20 mice (n = 26) and their wild type (WT) littermates (n = 24) were used to investigate the effect of WBV on amyloid pathology and the healthy brain. Both J20 and WT mice underwent WBV on a vibration platform or pseudo vibration treatment. The vibration intervention consisted of 2 WBV sessions of 10 min per day, five days per week for five consecutive weeks. After five weeks of WBV, the balance beam test was used to assess motor performance. Brain tissue was collected to quantify Aβ deposition and immunomarkers of astrocytes and microglia.RESULTS: J20 mice have a limited number of plaques at this relatively young age. Amyloid plaque load was not affected by WBV. Microglia activation based on IBA1-immunostaining was significantly increased in the J20 animals compared to the WT littermates, whereas CD68 expression was not significantly altered. WBV treatment was effective to ameliorate microglia activation based on morphology in both J20 and WT animals in the Dentate Gyrus, but not so in the other subregions. Furthermore, GFAP expression based on coverage was reduced in J20 pseudo-treated mice compared to the WT littermates and it was significantly reserved in the J20 WBV vs. pseudo-treated animals. Further, only for the WT animals a tendency of improved motor performance was observed in the WBV group compared to the pseudo vibration group.CONCLUSION: In accordance with the literature, we detected an early plaque load, reduced GFAP expression and increased microglia activity in J20 mice at the age of ~ 6 months. Our findings indicate that WBV has beneficial effects on the early progression of brain pathology. WBV restored, above all, the morphology of GFAP positive astrocytes to the WT level that could be considered the non-pathological and hence "healthy" level. Next experiments need to be performed to determine whether WBV is also affective in J20 mice of older age or other AD mouse models.</p

Effects of low- and high-intensity physical exercise on physical and cognitive function in older persons with dementia:A randomized controlled trial

Background: Potential moderators such as exercise intensity or apolipoprotein-E4 (ApoE4) carriership may determine the magnitude of exercise effects on physical and cognitive functions in patients with dementia (PwD). We determined the effects of a 24-week aerobic and strength training program with a low- and high-intensity phase on physical and cognitive function. Methods: In an assessor-blinded randomized trial, 91 PwD (all-cause dementia, recruited from daycare and residential care facilities, age 82.3 ± 7.0 years, 59 women, Mini-Mental State Examination 20.2 ± 4.4) were allocated to the exercise or control group. In the exercise group, PwD participated in a walking and lower limb strength training program with 12 weeks low- and 12 weeks high-intensity training offered three times/week. Attention-matched control participants performed flexibility exercises and recreational activities. We assessed adherence, compliance, and exercise intensity for each session. We assessed physical (endurance, gait speed, mobility, balance, leg strength) and cognitive (verbal memory, visual memory, executive function, inhibitory control, psychomotor speed) functions with performance-based tests at baseline and after 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 weeks (follow-up). ApoE4 carriership was determined post-intervention. Results: Sixty-nine PwD were analyzed. Their mean attendance was ~ 60% during the study period. There were no significant effects of the exercise vs. control intervention on endurance, mobility, balance, and leg strength in favor of the exercise group (Cohen's d = 0.13-0.18). Gait speed significantly improved with ~ 0.05 m/s after the high-intensity phase for exercise participants (Cohen's d = 0.41) but declined at follow-up. There were no significant effects of the exercise vs. control intervention on any of the cognitive measures (Cohen's d ~ - 0.04). ApoE4 carriership did not significantly moderate exercise effects on physical or cognitive function. Conclusions: Exercise was superior to control activities for gait speed in our sample of PwD. However, the training effect provided no protection for mobility loss after detraining (follow-up). There were no beneficial effects of the exercise vs. control group on cognitive function. Exercise intensity moderated the effects of exercise on gait speed. ApoE4 carriership moderated the effect of exercise on global cognition only (trend level). Trial registration: Netherlands Trial Register, NTR5035. Registered on 2 March 2015

Potential of Whole-Body Vibration in Parkinson's Disease:A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human and Animal Studies

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Exercise has shown to have a positive impact on both motor and non-motor functions in Parkinson’s Disease patients. However, particularly in later stages of the disease, reduced cognitive function and motor capacity may lead to an inability to stay physically active. Therefore, alternative strategies for patients with Parkinson’s Disease are necessary to minimize burden for patients, their families and public health care. Whole-Body Vibration could be such an alternative. Whole-Body Vibration is an exercise or treatment method in which subjects are exposed to a mechanical vibration while sitting, standing or exercising on a vibrating platform. Whole-Body Vibration is currently used for physiotherapy, sports and rehabilitation purposes. Whole-Body Vibration treatment is interesting because it affects both the body and brain. The potential of Whole-Body Vibration for, specifically, Parkinson’s Disease patients should be clarified for further application. For this purpose, we conducted an extensive systematic review of the articles investigating the effects of Whole-Body Vibrations (1) on animals and humans with Parkinson’s Disease and (2) on neuropathological Parkinson’s Disease mechanisms. The results show some potential of Whole-Body Vibration for Parkinson’s Disease patients. The recommendations provided by this review can be used by researchers and rehabilitative practitioners implementing Whole-Body Vibration as a treatment for Parkinson’s Disease patients. ABSTRACT: (1) Background: When the severity of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) increases, patients often have difficulties in performing exercises. Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) may be a suitable alternative. This systematic review aims to clarify if WBV shows potential as rehabilitative therapy for PD patients. (2) Methods: We searched several databases for controlled trials investigating the effects of WBV (1) on PD populations and (2) PD neuropathological mechanisms. We included both human and animal studies and performed meta-analyses. (3) Results: The studies on PD populations (14 studies) show an overall significant, but small, effect in favor of WBV (Hedges’ g = 0.28), for which the effects on stability (Hedges’ g = 0.39) and balance (Hedges’ g = 0.30) are the most prominent. The studies on the neuropathological mechanisms (18 studies) show WBV effects on neuroinflammation (Hedges’ g = –1.12) and several specific WBV effects on neurotransmitter systems, growth factors, neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity and oxidative stress. (4) Conclusions: The effects of WBV on human PD patients remains inconclusive. Nevertheless, WBV protocols with sufficient duration (≥3 weeks), session frequency (≥3 sessions/week) and vibration frequency (≥20 Hz) show potential as a treatment method, especially for motor function. The potential of WBV for PD patients is confirmed by the effects on the neuropathological mechanisms in mostly non-PD populations. We recommend high-quality future studies on both PD patients and PD mouse models to optimize WBV protocols and to examine the neuropathological mechanisms in PD populations

Whole body vibration improves attention and motor performance in mice depending on the duration of the whole-body vibration session

BACKGROUND: Whole body vibration (WBV) is a form of physical stimulation via mechanical vibrations transmitted to a subject. It is assumed that WBV induces sensory stimulation in cortical brain regions through the activation of skin and muscle receptors responding to the vibration. The effects of WBV on muscle strength are well described. However, little is known about the impact of WBV on the brain. Recently, it was shown in humans that WBV improves attention in an acute WBV protocol. Preclinical research is needed to unravel the underlying brain mechanism. As a first step, we examined whether chronic WBV improves attention in mice.MATERIAL AND METHODS: A custom made vibrating platform for mice with low intensity vibrations was used. Male CD1 mice (3 months of age) received five weeks WBV (30 Hz; 1.9 G), five days a week with sessions of five (n=12) or 30 (n=10) minutes. Control mice (pseudo-WBV; n=12 and 10 for the five and 30 minute sessions, respectively) were treated in a similar way, but did not receive the actual vibration. Object recognition tasks were used as an attention test (novel and spatial object recognition - the primary outcome measure). A Balance beam was used for motor performance, serving as a secondary outcome measure.RESULTS: WBV sessions of five (but not WBV sessions of 30 minutes) improved balance beam performance (mice gained 28% in time needed to cross the beam) and novel object recognition (mice paid significantly more attention to the novel object) as compared to pseudo WBV, but no change was found for spatial object performance (mice did not notice the relocation). Although 30 minutes WBV sessions were not beneficial, it did not impair either attention or motor performance.CONCLUSION: These results show that brief sessions of WBV improve, next to motor performance, attention for object recognition, but not spatial cues of the objects. The selective improvement of attention in mice opens the avenue to unravel the underlying brain mechanisms.</p

Using a disciplinary discourse lens to explore how representations afford meaning making in a typical wave physics course

We carried out a case study in a wave physics course at a Swedish university in order to investigate the relations between the representations used in the lessons and the experience of meaning making in interview–discussions. The grounding of these interview–discussions also included obtaining a rich description of the lesson environment in terms of the communicative approaches used and the students’ preferences for modes of representations that best enable meaning making. The background for this grounding was the first two lessons of a 5-week course on wave physics (70 students). The data collection for both the grounding and the principal research questions consisted of video recordings from the first two lessons: a student questionnaire of student preferences for representations (given before and after the course) and video-recorded interview–discussions with students (seven pairs and one on their own). The results characterize the use of communicative approaches, what modes of representation were used in the lectures, and the trend in what representations students’ preferred for meaning making, all in order to illustrate how students engage with these representations with respect to their experienced meaning making. Interesting aspects that emerged from the study are discussed in terms of how representations do not, in themselves, necessarily enable a range of meaning making; that meaning making from representations is critically related to how the representations get situated in the learning environment; and how constellations of modes of disciplinary discourse may be necessary but not always sufficient. Finally, pedagogical comments and further research possibilities are presented.Web of Scienc

Ranking Barriers, Motivators, and Facilitators to Promote Physical Activity Participation of Persons With Dementia:An Explorative Study

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Beneficial effects of whole-body vibration exercise for brain disorders in experimental studies with animal models:A systematic review

Brain disorders have been a health challenge and is increasing over the years. Early diagnosis and interventions are considered essential strategies to treat patients at risk of brain disease. Physical exercise has shown to be beneficial for patients with brain diseases. A type of exercise intervention known as whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise gained increasing interest. During WBV, mechanical vibrations, produced by a vibrating platform are transmitted, to the body. The purpose of the current review was to summarize the effects of WBV exercise on brain function and behavior in experimental studies with animal models. Searches were performed in EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science including publications from 1960 to July 2021, using the keywords "whole body vibration" AND (animal or mice or mouse or rat or rodent). From 1284 hits, 20 papers were selected. Rats were the main animal model used (75%) followed by mice (20%) and porcine model (5%), 16 studies used males species and 4 females. The risk of bias, accessed with the SYRCLE Risk of Bias tool, indicated that none of the studies fulfilled all methodological criteria, resulting in possible bias. Despite heterogeneity, the results suggest beneficial effects of WBV exercise on brain functioning, mainly related to motor performance, coordination, behavioral control, neuronal plasticity and synapse function. In conclusion, the findings observed in animal studies justifies continued clinical research regarding the effectiveness and potential of WBV for the treatment of various types of brain disorders such as trauma, developmental disorders, neurogenetic diseases and other neurological diseases

Design and non-design labs: Does transfer occur

Abstract. This paper is the second in the series of three describing a controlled study &quot;Transfer of scientific abilities&quot;. The study was conducted in a large-enrollment introductory physics course taught via Investigative Science Learning Environment. Its goal was to fmd whether designing their own experiments in labs affects students&apos; approaches to experimental problem solving in new areas of physics and in biology, and their learning of physics concepts. This paper reports on the part of the study that assesses student work while solving an experimental problem in a physics content area not studied in class. For a quantitative evaluation of students&apos; abilities, we used scientific abilities rubrics. We studied the students&apos; lab reports and answers to non-traditional exam problems related to the lab. We evaluated their performance and compared it with the performance of a control group that had the same course but enrolled in nondesign labs instead of design labs. The project was supported by NSF grant DRL 0241078