Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of manual vibrations in older adults. Methods: Fifteen participants (aged ≥ 65 years) from a facility for older adults were enrolled in a randomized crossover trial. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups (A and B) with different intervention orders. The intervention condition involved the application of manual vibration, whereas the control condition involved touching only (without vibration). Under both conditions, the intervention was performed for 5 min at eight sites (upper and lower body) in the prone position. Autonomic function was assessed using heart rate variability analysis (natural logarithm(ln) high-frequency(HF) and ln [low-frequency(LF)/HF]) before, during, and after intervention. Subjective measures of sleepiness, fatigue, and pain were evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS) pre- and post-intervention. Results: During manual vibration, the lnHF increased significantly (p=.021). Additionally, the post-intervention VAS scores for sleepiness differed significantly between both groups (p=.041). Conclusion: Manual vibration may improve parasympathetic activity and influence subjective sleepiness in older adults.
