Effects of short-term exposure to whole-body vibration on wakefulness level.
- SATOU Y, ANDO H, NAKIRI M, NAGATOMI K, YAMAGUCHI Y, HOSHINO M, TSUJI Y, MURAMOTO J, MORI M, HARA K, ISHITAKE T.
- Ind Health 2007;45(2):217-23.
Department of Environmental Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine
Abstract: To investigate the relationships between whole-body vibration and changes in wakefulness, We measured the change of a subjective wakefulness level and electroencephalogram (EEG). Subjects are ten healthy male university students. The subjects were exposed to whole-body vibration with frequency (10 Hz) and acceleration level (0.6 ms(-2) r.m.s.) for 12 min in the seated position. Subjective wakefulness level was evaluated using the questionnaire of VASS (Visual Analog Sleepiness Scale) and KSS (The Kwansei Gakuin Sleepiness Scale). For the electroencephalogram (EEG) measurement, AAT (Alpha Attenuation Test) which repeats three times each opened and closed eye for 1 min was conducted. Wakefulness levels were defined as the ratio of mean alpha-wave power during eyes closed versus eyes opened. VASS and KSS increased and subjective level of wakefulness decreased from pre- to post exposure in all subjects, regardless of vibration exposure. The objective wakefulness levels of AAT were reduced at the post-exposure test in all subjects. In the case with exposure to whole-body vibration was a significant difference from the case without exposure to whole-body vibration. It is suggested that a short-term exposure to whole-body vibration may cause a reduction of wakefulness level.
You might be wondering "how does this apply to anything useful?" As a narcoleptic I am lulled to sleep in cars very easily, so I already suspected that vibrations were soporific. Now I'm certain of it. This experiment doesn't set out to answer that specific question but it definitely has implications on the vibrations we expose ourselves to daily.
