Acute Effects of Whole-Body Vibration on Dopplerfluxometry of the Common Carotid Artery Parameters among Adult and Elderly Non-Athletes Healthy Dogs

Abstract

Background: Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) is an oscillatory mechanical stimulus spreading throughout the body and considered a type of physical exercise because of the activation of the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and neuroendocrine systems. It is a physical exercise modality since it promotes cardiovascular resistance, increase in muscular strength and neurosensitivity, and motor coordination improvement. For use of WBV as an exercise modality for dogs, it is necessary to evaluate the Dopplerfluxometry parameters of the common carotid artery in healthy dogs in order to perform a safe protocol without inducing any cerebral alteration. This study aimed to evaluate the acute effects of WBV on systolic peak velocity (SPV), resistivity (RI), and pulsatility index (PI) of the both common carotid artery among adults and elderly non-athletes healthy dog.Materials, Methods & Results: Fourteen clinically healthy, neutered crossbreed male dogs, non-athlete were divided into two groups of seven dogs, according to the age group: Group 1 (G1)- Adult dogs: age between 12 and 84 months; Group 2 (G2)- Elderly dogs: aged over 84 months. All dogs were submitted to sessions of WBV using the protocol of 30 Hz for 5 min, followed by an increase to 50 Hz for 5 more min and ending with 5 min at 30 Hz, without rest between the variation of the vibration frequency. The systolic peak velocity (SPV), resistivity (RI), and pulsatility index (PI) of the common carotid artery were assessed in two time-points: 5 min before the WBV sessions (5PRE) and 1 min after the WBV (1POS). No significant variations in the SPS, RI, and PI of both common carotid artery of the G1 and G2 were identified. The anatomic reference for the left and right common carotid artery was the right and left extern jugulars veins, which were identified by the venous blood vessel characteristics as endothelium type, and single-phase without systolic peaks wave. Discussion: In humans, WBV is indicated to muscle size and tone increase, therefore it is believed that this modality can present a beneficial result in dogs with muscular atrophy associated with orthopedic surgeries and in cases of osteoarthritis. Irreversible brain damage can be caused by a possible hemodynamic alteration in the common carotid arteries resulted from mechanical vibrations. Parkinson’s disease patients and individuals affected by strokes that went under acute sessions of WBV showed handshake reduction and better proprioception, respectively. The beneficial effect was observed in cervix opening in dogs with metritis. The behavior of sitting of the dogs over 30 kg during WBVsessions was associated with paraparesis. This result was present in medium-size non-athletic dogs weighing from 10.1 to 17.9 kg that went through WBV for 5 consecutive days, using the same vibrating platform. No signs of discomfort during a single session of 10 min of WBV (15 and 21 Hz) were observed in healthy adult horses. Studies using mechanical vibrations on adult healthy dogs did not show significant variation RI of the renal artery. On the other hand, daily use of WBV for 5 days on dogs showed significant enhancement on RI of the femoral artery immediately after it. A single session of WBV (30 and 50 Hz did, for 15 min) do not produce undesirable effects on SPV, RI, and PI of both common carotid arteries in adult and elderly non-athletic healthy dogs.

Serum Cortisol and Clinical Response to a Single Session of Whole-Body Vibration in Healthy Adult Dogs

“…The WBV protocol used in the present study was the same one applied to medium-sized dogs in previous studies ( 8 – 11 ). These studies reported a slight discomfort when the vibrating frequency increased from 30 to 50 Hz, similar to the current study ( 8 – 10 ).…”

“…Dogs were positioned in a standing position (FCIT, BMS, KCA) in the center of the vibrating platform 1 (92 cm length, 62 cm width, and 16 cm height) designed for dogs and cats, with protocol as previously described in the literature (8)(9)(10)(11): single WBV session at a vibration frequency of 30 Hz for 5 min (3.10 mm peak displacement, 11.16 m/s 2 peak acceleration, and 0.29 m/s velocity), then 50 Hz for 5 min (3.98 mm peak displacement, 39.75 m/s 2 peak acceleration, and 0.62 m/s velocity), and finishing with 30 Hz for 5 min (3.10 mm peak displacement, 11.16 m/s 2 peak acceleration, and 0.29 m/s velocity). According to the manufacturer, the vibration frequencies can be chosen between 05 and 100 Hz, and a vortex wave circulation was the mechanical vibration delivered by this platform.…”

“…A report case showed the influence of WBV at the spontaneous opening of the cervix in a female dog with purulent metritis after a single session on the vibrating platform based on the same vibration protocol used in the literature ( 12 ). A study conducted by Nagai et al ( 11 ) on healthy adult dogs has not identified alterations in the renal and common carotid resistive index after a single session of WBV (30 and 50 Hz for 15 min) using the vibrating platform which delivered a vortex wave circulation.…”

“…Thus, controlled studies must be carried out to obtain better scientific evidence and to establish effectiveness and safe protocols (1,2). Few studies have evaluated the effect of WBV on dogs (8)(9)(10)(11). A study showed that the renal resistivity index was not altered in healthy dogs subjected to a single WBV session (5 min with 30, 50, and 30 Hz) (9).…”

Short-term effects of Whole-Body Vibration on clinical, cardiac, and ambulatory electrocardiographic (Holter) parameters of healthy younger and older adult male non-athletic crossbreed dogs

“…WBV exercise improves the cardiovascular system without increasing the risk of cardiac injury (Wong et al, 2016;Moreira-Marconi et al, 2020), and is indicated for aged subjects who are unable to comply with conventional training routines and patients who cannot perform traditional resistance training (Sitjà-Rabert et al, 2012;Park et al, 2015). Few studies evaluated the effects of WBV in dogs (Freire et al, 2015;Santos et al, 2017Santos et al, , 2019Nagai et al, 2020). A study by Freire et al (2015), Nagai et al (2020) on healthy adult dogs showed no alteration in the renal and common carotid resistive index, respectively, after a single session of WBV (30 and 50 Hz for 15-min) using a vibrating platform that delivered a vortex wave circulation.…”