The effect of whole body vibration by sonic waves on mood, the autonomic nervous system, and brain function in elderly

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of sonic wave vibration (SWV) on mood, the autonomic-nervous system, brain function and cognitive function in elderly people. We randomly assigned 24 late-stage elderly people (M 88.0±5.0 yrs) into a SWV group and a control group. The SWV group conducted 10 minutes of SWV per day, 5 days a week for 8 consecutive weeks. For evaluation purposes, we analyzed the moods with TDMS, heart rate variability (HRV), resting energy expenditure (REE), and brain activation during the Stroop test using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The stability level and pleasure level of mood increased significantly immediately after SWV. Simultaneously, the levels of the parasympathetic nervous system index of HRV significantly increased while the levels of the sympathetic nervous system index significantly decreased. REE also significantly increased. These results suggest that SWV has a relaxation effect as well as increasing the energy expenditure for elderly people. After intervention, Stroop B's execution time significantly decreased suggesting an improvement in the processing speed. The NIRS revealed that SWV may therefore activate the frontal lobe function. These results suggest that SWV may have a positive effect on mood, the autonomic nervous system, cognitive function and brain functions, and thus such treatment may be useful for elderly people.