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Changing Vertical Self-motion Perception

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Vestibular Function Tests
Interventions
Diagnostic Test: Trampoline
Registration Number
NCT04200820
Lead Sponsor
University of Zurich
Brief Summary

The objective of this study is to explore the "vertical self-motion perception" on in healthy young individuals using an elevator as accelerator. Secondary aim is to explore the effects of repeated vertical acceleration on vertical vestibular sensibility.

Detailed Description

The detection of displacement is important information to maintaining balance, postural control, and gait during daily living activities. This detection of displacement or self-motion perception is accomplished by the human vestibular system, particularly the otolith organs, the sacculus and utriculus. Both primarily respond to whole-body acceleration or tilt in gravity. The saccule and utricle detect linear motion as well as the static orientation of the head relative to gravity, which is itself a linear acceleration. The saccule is more sensitive to vertical acceleration (sensing elevator acceleration) and the utricle is more sensitive to horizontal acceleration (sensing a car accelerate). The signals from the vestibular system are transmitted o the central nervous system for further processing.

Testing the otolith function is difficult since it always a combination of the tested inertial acceleration (t) and gravity (g). Therefore the Vector of acceleration is skew. An isolated vertical direction testing of the saccule is to our knowledge not done. Testing the function of the saccule in an elevator would eliminate the any horizontal accelerations other than gravity. Using the decelerations phase of an elevator ride during both up and down ride could give important inside of the self-motion perception (sensation of acceleration of a subject). The reaction force F which accts on the otolith would be maximal when the elevator ride downwards would stop. The force acting on the otolith when the elevator got upwards is breaking is smaller than g.

A better understanding the adaption of the self-motion perception could be beneficial for patients with hypersensitive vestibular functioning, e.g. patients with vestibular migraine. We hypothesized that (a) healthy subjects change the self-motion perception after hyper-stimulation with repeated vertical acceleration.

The objective of this study is to explore the "vertical self-motion perception" on in healthy young individuals using an elevator as accelerator. Secondary aim is to explore the effects of repeated vertical acceleration on vertical vestibular sensibility.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
20
Inclusion Criteria
  • Healthy young adults
  • Signed informed consent after being informed
Exclusion Criteria
  • Acute pain
  • Chronic neck pain
  • Undergone Neck surgery
  • Any vestibular disorder
  • Fear of elevators / claustrophobia
  • Dizziness handicap inventory score >30

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
TrampolineTrampolineThe participants will jump on a mini-trampoline for 30 seconds and then will have a 30 seconds break. This will be repeated 16 times. This resulted in a cumulative total intervention time of 8 minutes.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change of Vertical Self-Motion Perception Reaction Time (VSMPT)Changes from before and after the elevator rides will be assessed. The assessments will be executed one minute before and after the trampoline intervention. One assessment will take 15 minutes.

The VSMPT reflects the time in which a person's ability to sense vertical acceleration. A Raspberry Pi 3 B+ with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) will measure the vertical acceleration of the elevator's acceleration. The subject will be asked to stop the stopwatch he/she feels acceleration / deceleration of the elevator ride. The reaction time and the duration of acceleration / deceleration will be measured. Data will be collected starting on the ground floor as the elevator travelled up to a stop at the higher floor (12 floors up). Thereafter the down ride will be measured.Five-elevator rides up and five down will be measured.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Dizziness handicap inventory (DHI)5 minutes. At the start of the study and before the first elevator measurements the participants are asked to fill out the questionnaire.

The DHI is a validated, 25-item-self-report questionnaire to evaluate the self-perceived handicapping effects caused by dizziness. The DHI is categorized in three domains; functional (9 questions, 36 points), emotional (9 questions, 36 points) and physical (7 questions, 28 points). Patients will answer the questions with no (0 points), sometimes (2 points) and yes (4 points). The higher the score, the greater the handicap caused by dizziness.

Self-administered neck mobility assessment tool (S-ROM-Neck)5 minutes. At the start of the study and before the first elevator measurements the participants are asked to fill out the questionnaire.

The S-ROM-Neck questionnaire is a self-administered questionnaire that uses visual analog scales (VAS) to measure pain-free active range of motion (ROM) for all neck movements. The patient is asked to place a mark on a 100 mm line (0 mm = "no movement possible" and 100 mm = "as far as possible"). The total score is the sum of the individual scores (min. score (600) = no restrictions and max. score (0) = total restriction)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University Hospital Zurich, Directorate of Research and Education, Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy Research

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Zurich, ZH, Switzerland

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