Effects of vibration training on elbow joint position sensing

Abstract

Some proprioceptive rehabilitation programs utilize tendon vibration to improve and restore sensory and motor function. Few studies have examined adaptation and learning effects that may occur with repeated exposures to tendon vibration. It is well established that vibration stimulates muscle spindles, resulting in a kinesthetic illusion of muscle stretch and lengthening. This kinesthetic illusion results in misperception of the corresponding joint angle position. The present study assessed learning effects on elbow joint position sense that occurred after training with unilateral vibration of the biceps brachii. Young, healthy adults (n = 20) were randomized into one of two training groups, a control group undergoing joint position training without vibration and a treatment group undergoing training with vibration. Each group completed five training sessions in which they practiced an elbow joint matching task between their left and right arms. Elbow joint position accuracy was evaluated by absolute angle error, the difference between the right arm target angle and the perceived “matched” angle of the left arm. Absolute error was compared between the two training groups pre-and post-training, in both non-vibration and vibration conditions. Following training, both groups reduced absolute error in the condition in which they trained. Non-vibration error was not significantly affected in the vibration treatment group, suggesting vibration training is not detrimental to performance when tendon vibration is no longer present. Overall, the vibration treatment group was able to effectively integrate altered muscle spindle afferent information to improve elbow joint proprioceptive accuracy. This information can be used to inform the development of tendon vibration-based rehabilitation protocols for selected patient populations experiencing sensory and motor control problems. Introduction