Effects of Whole Body Vibration on Processing Speed in Stroke Patients - A Pilot Study

Background: The motor consequences of a stroke are mainly treated with physiotherapy and blood thinning drugs. In exercise therapy with whole body vibration, studies with other patient groups show positive effects already after a single application. In stroke patients the effectiveness of whole body vibration is still quite inconsistent. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of whole body vibration on processing speed in stroke patients. Hypothesis: Whole body vibration has a positive effect on processing speed in stroke patients. Methods: 13 stroke patients (age 68.23 ± 8.93 years, mean time past since stroke 10.82 ± 8.83 months) were randomized in two groups subjected to whole body vibration at 6 and 12 Hz, respectively. Before and after the treatment of 5 x 60 seconds with a break of 60 seconds between each set, the Digit Symbol Test was performed. Results: Both groups improved their performance significantly from pre- to posttest (F(1,11) = 15.85; p = 0.002). There is no difference between groups and no interaction effect for factor time*group. Conclusions: Even lower application frequencies (6 and 12 Hz) can have a positive effect on the processing speed of stroke patients. Nevertheless, further studies must try to develop an optimal training protocol for this patient group.