Does proprioceptive system stimulation improve sit-to-walk performance in healthy young adults?

Abstract

[Purpose] Sit-to-walk performance is linked to proper proprioceptive information processing. Therefore, it is believed that an increase of proprioceptive inflow (using muscle vibration) might improve sit-to-walk performance. However, before testing muscle vibration effects on a frail population, assessment of its effects on healthy young people is necessary. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of muscle vibration on sit-to-walk performance in healthy young adults. [Subjects and Methods] Fifteen young adults performed the sit-to-walk task under three conditions: without vibration, with vibration applied before movement onset, and with vibration applied during the movement. Vibration was applied bilaterally for 30 s to the tibialis anterior, rectus femoris, and upper trapezius muscles bellies. The vibration parameters were as follows: 120 Hz and 1.2 mm. Kinematics and kinetic data were assessed using a 3D motion capture system and two force plates. The coordinates of reflective markers were used to define the center-of-mass velocities and displacements. In addition, the first step spatiotemporal variables were assessed. [Results] No vibration effect was observed on any dependent variables. [Conclusion] The results show that stimulation of the proprioceptive system with local muscle vibration does not improve sit-to-walk performance in healthy young adults.

Tactile and proprioceptive sensory stimulation modifies estimation of walking distance but not upright gait stability: a pilot study

“…This issue remains controversial. For example, Pereira and colleagues demonstrated that local muscle vibration does not improve the sit-to-walk performance of healthy young adults 26 ) .…”

The role of proprioception in the sagittal setting of anticipatory postural adjustments during gait initiation

“…Therefore, since gait initiation performance is highly based on postural responses executed before the first step [8], we expected a frequency manipulation effect. We suggest that vibration frequency manipulation effects are restricted to upright stance and were suppressed by superior volitional commands during the step execution [9,19]. Voss et al [30] findings support this hypothesis -the authors found that pre-programmed movement setting interrupts the somatosensory influx to the central neural system.…”

“…In the Be condition, since vibration effects are discontinued as soon as the vibration is interrupted [18] and the participants took another ~0.37 seconds to perform the first APA phase, the vibration effects would already have disappeared at the WT onset. In the same way, in the Du condition, vibration effects were suppressed by volitional movement execution [9,19]. Therefore, this lack of significant results was already expected.…”

“…A custom-made vibration system was used, named RCVibro System [19]. Three pairs of cylindrical vibratory devices (measuring 4.5 cm × 2 cm × 2 cm; containing constant-velocity DC motors (Faulhaber ® , Croglio, Switzerland) bearing eccentric masses) were positioned bilaterally on the muscles' bellies of Trapezius superior, Tibialis anterior and Rectus femoris.…”

RCVibro System: full description of a custom-made vibratory system and its reliability

“… 5 Finally, the RCVibro System was used to demonstrate the role of proprioception on the performance of sit-to-walk in healthy young individuals. 27 …”