title: Muscle focal vibration in healthy subjects: evaluation of the effects on upper limb motor performance measured using a robotic device.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Muscle vibration is a technique that applies a low-amplitude/high-frequency vibratory stimulus to a specific muscle using a mechanical device. The aim of this study was to evaluate, using robot-based outcomes, the effects of focal muscle vibration, at different frequencies, on the motor performance of the upper limb in healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight volunteer healthy subjects (age: 31 ± 8 years) were enrolled. Subjects were assigned to three different groups: the first group, in which subjects underwent muscle vibration treatment with a frequency of 100 Hz; the second group of subjects underwent the same treatment protocol, but using a frequency of vibration of 200 Hz; finally, the control group did not undergo any treatment. The robot-based evaluation session consisted of visually guided reaching task, performed in the sagittal plane.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed that the vibration treatment improved upper limb motor performance of healthy subjects from the baseline (T0) to 10 days after the end of the treatment (T2), but only the group treated with a frequency of 200 Hz reached statistical significance. Specifically, in this group we found an increase of the number of repetitions (T0: 51.4 ± 22.7; T2: 66.3 ± 11.8), and the smoothness of the movement, as showed by a decrease of the Normalized Jerk (T0: 10.5 ± 2.8; T2: 7.7 ± 0.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of our study support the use of focal muscle vibration protocols in healthy subjects, to improve motor performance.
authors.affiliation: Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation, Piazzale Morandi 6, 20121, Milan, Italy. iaprile@dongnocchi.it.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aprile
authors.affiliation: Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation, Piazzale Morandi 6, 20121, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Sipio
authors.affiliation: Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation, Piazzale Morandi 6, 20121, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Germanotta
authors.affiliation: Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation, Piazzale Morandi 6, 20121, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simbolotti
authors.affiliation: Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus Foundation, Piazzale Morandi 6, 20121, Milan, Italy.|Department of Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Largo F. Vito, 1, 00168, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Padua
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000009:adverse effects; D012371:Robotics; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000502:physiology*; D014732:Vibration / Q000009:adverse effects*
keywords: Healthy subjects; Muscle focal vibration; Reaching task; Robot-mediated evaluation
references.citation: Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2009 Dec;90(12):2019-25
references.pmid: 19969163
references.citation: Clin Rehabil. 2013 Sep;27(9):803-12
references.pmid: 23543344
references.citation: Clin Physiol. 1999 Mar;19(2):183-7
references.pmid: 10200901
references.citation: J Neurosci. 1985 Jul;5(7):1688-703
references.pmid: 4020415
references.citation: Exp Neurol. 1997 Jul;146(1):159-70
references.pmid: 9225749
references.citation: Exp Brain Res. 1989;76(1):213-22
references.pmid: 2753103
references.citation: J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2014 Sep 12;11:137
references.pmid: 25217124
references.citation: J Appl Biomech. 2009 May;25(2):103-10
references.pmid: 19483254
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 1969 May;32(3):452-84
references.pmid: 4977839
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2002 Sep 15;22(18):8297-304
references.pmid: 12223584
references.citation: J Physiol. 1975 Dec;253(2):429-42
references.pmid: 1214220
references.citation: J Phys Ther Sci. 2013 Nov;25(11):1433-5
references.pmid: 24396205
references.citation: Top Stroke Rehabil. 2014 Sep-Oct;21(5):391-9
references.pmid: 25341384
references.citation: Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2012 Sep;93(9):1656-61
references.pmid: 22507444
references.citation: J Physiol. 1976 Oct;261(3):695-711
references.pmid: 135841
references.citation: J Phys Ther Sci. 2014 May;26(5):671-3
references.pmid: 24926129
references.citation: Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2011 Jun;47(2):223-36
references.pmid: 21445028
references.citation: Int J Mol Med. 2009 Oct;24(4):503-12
references.pmid: 19724891
references.citation: Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2012 Nov;91(11 Suppl 3):S255-69
references.pmid: 23080041
references.citation: NeuroRehabilitation. 2012;30(4):287-93
references.pmid: 22672942
references.citation: Scand J Rehabil Med. 1969;1(1):26-34
references.pmid: 5406721
references.citation: J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2006 May 04;3:9
references.pmid: 16674823
references.citation: Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2011 Jan;25(1):48-60
references.pmid: 20834043
references.citation: Exp Brain Res. 2002 Mar;143(1):24-34
references.pmid: 11907687
references.citation: Annu Rev Neurosci. 2001;24:807-43
references.pmid: 11520919
references.citation: Trends Neurosci. 1997 Dec;20(12):588-94
references.pmid: 9416673
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2000 Oct;84(4):1737-47
references.pmid: 11024066
references.citation: J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2011 Mar 24;8:15
references.pmid: 21435261
references.citation: Mult Scler. 2008 Apr;14(3):330-42
references.pmid: 18208874
references.citation: J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2008 Nov 19;5:31
references.pmid: 19019228
references.citation: Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2015 Aug;51(4):508
references.pmid: 25384515
references.citation: Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2014 Apr;50(2):231-42
references.pmid: 24842220
references.citation: Neuroreport. 2003 Oct 27;14(15):1901-5
references.pmid: 14561917
references.citation: Exp Brain Res. 2009 Jul;196(3):361-74
references.pmid: 19479245
references.citation: J Neurosci. 2009 Nov 18;29(46):14627-36
references.pmid: 19923295
references.citation: J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2015 Apr 23;12:41
references.pmid: 25900021
references.citation: Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1997;75(6):504-11
references.pmid: 9202946
references.citation: NeuroRehabilitation. 2014;35(3):405-14
references.pmid: 25227540
references.citation: Eur J Appl Physiol. 2006 Sep;98(1):79-87
references.pmid: 16896736
references.citation: Clin Neurophysiol. 2011 Jun;122(6):1183-9
references.pmid: 21172739
references.citation: J Rehabil Med. 2012 Mar;44(3):210-7
references.pmid: 22367455