Whole body vibration, an alternative for exercise to improve recovery from surgery?

Author: Tamas Oroszi1,2, Klaske Oberman1, Csaba Nyakas2,3, Barbara van Leeuwen4, Eddy A van der Zee1, Sietse F de Boer1, Regien G Schoemaker1,5
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> Department of Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, the Netherlands. <sup>2</sup> Research Center for Molecular Exercise Science, Hungarian University of Sports Science, Budapest, Hungary. <sup>3</sup> Behavioral Physiology Research Laboratory, Health Science Faculty, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. <sup>4</sup> Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands. <sup>5</sup> Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
Conference/Journal: Brain Behav Immun Health
Date published: 2022 Sep 24
Other: Volume ID: 26 , Pages: 100521 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100521. , Word Count: 310


Although exercise is usually associated with beneficial effects on physical and mental health, patients recovering from surgery may be hampered to perform active exercise. Whole body vibration (WBV) is suggested a passive alternative for physical training. Aim of the present study was to explore the therapeutic potential of WBV compared to physical exercise during early post-surgery recovery. Male three months old Wistar rats underwent major abdominal surgery. Starting the day after surgery, rats were subjected to either daily WBV or exercise (treadmill running) for 15 consecutive days. Control rats underwent pseudo treatment. During the first week after surgery, effects of interventions were obtained from continuous recording of hemodynamic parameters, body temperature and activity (via an implanted transducer). Behavioral tests were performed during the second post-surgical week to evaluate anxiety-like behavior, short and long-term memory functions, cognitive flexibility and motor performance. Animals were sacrificed 15 days after surgery and brain tissue was collected for analysis of hippocampal neuroinflammation and neurogenesis. Surgery significantly impacted all parameters measured during the first post-surgery week, irrespective of the type of surgery. Effect on cognitive performance was limited to cognitive flexibility; both WBV and exercise prevented the surgery-induced decline. Exercise, but not WBV increased anxiety-like behavior and grip strength. WBV as well as exercise prevented the surgery-induced declined neurogenesis, but surgery-associated hippocampal neuroinflammation was not affected. Our results indicated that active exercise and WBV share similar therapeutic potentials in the prevention of surgery induced decline in cognitive flexibility and hippocampal neurogenesis. In contrast to exercise, WBV did not increase anxiety-like behavior. Since neither intervention affected hippocampal neuroinflammation, other mechanisms and/or brain areas may be involved in the behavioral effects. Taken together, we conclude that WBV may provide a relevant alternative to active exercise during the early stage of post-operative recovery.

Keywords: Exercise; Hemodynamics; Neurogenesis; Neuroinflammation; Postoperative cognitive dysfunction; Whole body vibration.

PMID: 36203743 PMCID: PMC9531049 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100521