Whole-body vibration modulates leg muscle reflex and blood perfusion among people with chronic stroke: a randomized controlled crossover trial.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to investigate the acute effect of whole-body vibration (WBV) on the reflex and non-reflex components of spastic hypertonia and intramuscular blood perfusion among individuals with chronic stroke. Thirty-six people with chronic stroke (age: 61.4?±?6.9 years) participated in this randomized controlled cross-over study. Each participant underwent two testing conditions: static standing for 5?minutes with WBV (30?Hz, 1.5?mm) or no-vibration. We assessed the soleus H-reflex, shear modulus (ultrasound elastography) and vascular index (color power Doppler ultrasound) of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle on either paretic or non-paretic side at baseline and every 1-min post-intervention up to 5?minutes. The results revealed a significant inhibition of the H/M ratio bilaterally for the WBV condition (absolute change on paretic side: 0.61?±?0.35, p?=?0.001; non-paretic side: 0.34?±?0.23, p?=?0.001), but not the control condition. The inhibition of H-reflex was sustained up to 4?minutes and 3?minutes on the paretic and non-paretic side, respectively. The vascular index of MG muscle was significantly increased only for the WBV condition [paretic: from 0.55?±?0.07 to 1.08?±?0.18 (p?=?0.001); non-paretic: from 0.82?±?0.09 to 1.01?±?0.13 (p?

SUBMITTER: Huang M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6992671 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature