Article

Although whole-body vibration (WBV) has sparked tremendous research
interest in neurorehabilitation, the cardiovascular responses to WBV in people
with stroke remain unknown.
The aim of this study was to determine the
acute effects of different WBV protocols on oxygen consumption (Vo2), heart rate
(HR), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), blood pressure (BP),
and rate-pressure
product (RPP) during the performance of 6 different exercises among people with
chronic stroke (time since onset >/=6 months). DESIGN: A repeated-measures design
was used. METHODS: Each of the 48 participants experienced all 3 WBV protocols in
separate sessions: (1) no WBV, (2) low-intensity WBV (peak acceleration=0.96 unit
of gravity of Earth [g]), and (3) high-intensity WBV (1.61g).
The order in which
they encountered the WBV protocols was randomized, as was the order of exercises
performed during each session. Oxygen consumption, HR, and RPE were measured
throughout the study. Blood pressure and RPP were measured before and after each
session. RESULTS: Low-intensity and high-intensity WBV induced significantly
higher Vo2 by an average of 0.69 and 0.79 mL/kg/min, respectively, compared with
the control condition. These protocols also increased HR by an average of 4 bpm.
The 2 WBV protocols induced higher RPE than the control condition during static
standing exercise only. Although the diastolic and systolic BP and RPP were
increased at the end of each exercise session, the addition of WBV had no
significant effect on these variables. LIMITATIONS: The results are generalizable
only to ambulatory and community-dwelling people with chronic stroke.
CONCLUSIONS: Addition of high- and low-intensity WBV significantly increased the
Vo2 and HR, but the increase was modest. Thus, WBV should not pose any
substantial cardiovascular hazard in people with chronic stroke.
CI - (c) 2015 American Physical Therapy Association.

Langue : ANGLAIS