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Acute effects of vibration on digital circulatory function in healthy men

Acute effects of vibration on digital circulatory function in healthy men
Acute effects of vibration on digital circulatory function in healthy men

Objectives - To investigate the local and central pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the acute effects of unilateral vibration on the digital circulation of healthy men. Methods - Finger blood flow (FBF) and finger skin temperature (FST) in thermoneutral conditions, and the percentage change in finger systolic pressure (FSP%) after local cooling from 30 to 10°C were measured in the fingers of both hands in eight men (aged 23-47 years) who were not occupationally exposed to hand transmitted vibration. The right hand was exposed for 30 minutes to sinusoidal vibration with a frequency of 125 Hz and an acceleration of 87.5 m · s-2 rms (root mean square). A control condition consisted of exposure to static load only (10 N) without vibration. The measures of digital circulation were taken before exposure to vibration and static load and at 0, 30, 60, and 90 minutes after the end of each exposure. Results - Exposure to static load caused no significant-changes in FBF, FST, or FSP% in either the test right or the control left finger. Immediately after vibration exposure, there was a temporary increase in FBF in the vibrated right finger, whereas the non-vibrated left finger showed no vasodilation. In both the vibrated and non-vibrated fingers, FBF and FST were significantly reduced during the recovery time. A large variability between subjects was found for FBF and, to a lesser extent, for FST. In the vibrated right hand the decrease in FBF was significantly related to cold induced vasoconstriction in the digital vessels. Such a relation was not found in the non-vibrated left hand. Conclusions - The results of this investigation suggest that acute vibration can disturb the function of digital vessels through two different and opposite mechanisms. Vibration seems to produce local vasodilation and to trigger a central sympathetic reflex vasoconstriction that can be recorded in the ipsilateral and the contralateral finger to vibration. Both local and central vasoconstrictor mechanisms are likely to be involved in the responsiveness to cold found in the digital vessels of a vibrated finger.

Acute vibration, Digital vasoconstriction, Pathophysiological mechanisms
1351-0711
834-841
Bovenzi, M.
47528879-9888-4068-b988-9786ff263bb1
Griffin, M.J.
24112494-9774-40cb-91b7-5b4afe3c41b8
Ruffell, C.M.
c0df7654-271a-4383-84f5-2b7e82f0e67e
Bovenzi, M.
47528879-9888-4068-b988-9786ff263bb1
Griffin, M.J.
24112494-9774-40cb-91b7-5b4afe3c41b8
Ruffell, C.M.
c0df7654-271a-4383-84f5-2b7e82f0e67e

Bovenzi, M., Griffin, M.J. and Ruffell, C.M. (1995) Acute effects of vibration on digital circulatory function in healthy men. Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 52 (12), 834-841.

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objectives - To investigate the local and central pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the acute effects of unilateral vibration on the digital circulation of healthy men. Methods - Finger blood flow (FBF) and finger skin temperature (FST) in thermoneutral conditions, and the percentage change in finger systolic pressure (FSP%) after local cooling from 30 to 10°C were measured in the fingers of both hands in eight men (aged 23-47 years) who were not occupationally exposed to hand transmitted vibration. The right hand was exposed for 30 minutes to sinusoidal vibration with a frequency of 125 Hz and an acceleration of 87.5 m · s-2 rms (root mean square). A control condition consisted of exposure to static load only (10 N) without vibration. The measures of digital circulation were taken before exposure to vibration and static load and at 0, 30, 60, and 90 minutes after the end of each exposure. Results - Exposure to static load caused no significant-changes in FBF, FST, or FSP% in either the test right or the control left finger. Immediately after vibration exposure, there was a temporary increase in FBF in the vibrated right finger, whereas the non-vibrated left finger showed no vasodilation. In both the vibrated and non-vibrated fingers, FBF and FST were significantly reduced during the recovery time. A large variability between subjects was found for FBF and, to a lesser extent, for FST. In the vibrated right hand the decrease in FBF was significantly related to cold induced vasoconstriction in the digital vessels. Such a relation was not found in the non-vibrated left hand. Conclusions - The results of this investigation suggest that acute vibration can disturb the function of digital vessels through two different and opposite mechanisms. Vibration seems to produce local vasodilation and to trigger a central sympathetic reflex vasoconstriction that can be recorded in the ipsilateral and the contralateral finger to vibration. Both local and central vasoconstrictor mechanisms are likely to be involved in the responsiveness to cold found in the digital vessels of a vibrated finger.

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More information

Published date: December 1995
Keywords: Acute vibration, Digital vasoconstriction, Pathophysiological mechanisms

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 413083
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/413083
ISSN: 1351-0711
PURE UUID: f0c45447-5bef-4a6d-b612-e8264038eb01
ORCID for M.J. Griffin: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0743-9502

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Date deposited: 14 Aug 2017 16:31
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 12:23

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Contributors

Author: M. Bovenzi
Author: M.J. Griffin ORCID iD
Author: C.M. Ruffell

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