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The effect of segmental vibration therapy on balance and executive function in older adults.

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2019, PHD, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / School of Biomedical Sciences.
Falls among older adults over 65 years is the leading cause of injuries and fatalities. There has been a demonstrated correlation between number of falls, muscle activity and cognitive impairment in older adults. With increasing age, muscle weakness with executive function and attention declines while motor tasks such as balance and walking become less automated and more cognitively taxing. For example, maintaining postural balance while performing a cognitive task (dual-tasking postural control) requires integration of multi-sensory feedback and cognitive attention. Older adults show increased instability during dual-tasking postural balance due to deficits in proprioceptive sensitivity, muscle weakness and/or cognitive decline. Whole body vibration (WBV) has been used shown to improve balance and muscle strength and muscle activation in older adults. In addition, WBV can improve cognitive function, particularly inhibitory control as a measure of attention in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The primary objective of this study is to determine if three sessions of segmental vibration therapy (SVT) of the lower legs improve muscle activation, executive function and dual-tasking (DT) postural balance in older adults. We hypothesized that SVT will provide a sensory stimulation that acts on muscle spindles and mechanoreceptors that could stimulate neural activity of the leg muscles and improve balance. Twenty participants over the age of 60 were randomized into either a vibration therapy (SVT) or control (CON) group. Segmental vibration therapy was applied to the soleus, gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles for 2 minutes at 20Hz for 3 sessions on 3 consecutive days. Muscle activity of the mentioned muscles were measured using surface electromyograms. Inhibitory control and attention, working memory and processing speed was measured using the NIH Toolbox. The Biodex Balance System was used to assess sensory integration capabilities and balance while dual tasking. There was an observed decrease in muscle activity of the gastrocnemius and soleus following SVT. There were no significant interactions between the groups with the inhibition control and attention scores. There was a significant interaction between the groups with the working memory (p = 0.042) and processing speed (p = 0.039). The CON group showed an increase while the SVT group had a decrease in working memory. Both groups increased in processing speed. The were no interactions in the DT scores between the groups but there were note worthy changes in the different balance conditions. The SVT decreased DT-motor cost in the eyes closed conditions whereas the CON increased in the same conditions. The DT-cognitive cost decreased in both conditions. The CON decreased mostly in the firm surface conditions and the SVT decreased mostly in the soft surface conditions. Our data suggests that SVT can improve balance in older adults which can result in improved when visual input was removed, and proprioceptive input was altered. This likely allowed for better integration of the available sensory inputs to maintain posture and balance.
Angela Ridgel, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Eric Mintz, Ph.D (Committee Member)
Colleen Novak, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Kimberly Peer, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
163 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Mavundza, N. Y.Z. (2019). The effect of segmental vibration therapy on balance and executive function in older adults. [Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1555891784303312

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Mavundza, Nhlalala. The effect of segmental vibration therapy on balance and executive function in older adults. 2019. Kent State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1555891784303312.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Mavundza, Nhlalala. "The effect of segmental vibration therapy on balance and executive function in older adults." Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1555891784303312

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)