Modification of heart rate variability induced by focal muscle vibration in patients with severe acquired brain injury

ABSTRACT

Background/Purpose

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a biomarker of autonomic nervous system (ANS) reaction in persons with severe acquired brain injury (sABI) who undergo a rehabilitation treatment, such as focal muscle vibration (FMV).

This study aims to evaluate if and how FMV can modulate HRV and to compare potential differences in FMV modulation in HRV between patients with sABI and healthy controls.

Methods

Ten patients with sABI and seven healthy controls have been recruited. Each individual underwent the same stimulation protocol (four consecutive trains of vibration of 5 minutes each with a 1-minute pause). HRV was analyzed through the ratio of frequency domain heart-rate variability (LF/HF).

Results

In the control group, after performing FMV, a significant LF/HF difference was observed in the in the second vibration session compared to the POST phase. Patients with SABI treated on the affected side showed a statistically significant LF/HF difference in the PRE compared to the first vibration session.

Conclusion

These preliminary results suggest that FMV may modify the cardiac ANS activity in patients with sABI.

KEYWORDS:

• Focal muscle vibration
• heart rate variability
• severe acquired brain injury
• autonomic nervous system rehabilitation
• rehabilitation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.