The effect of selected rest break activities on reaction time, balance, and perceived discomfort after one hour of simulated occupational whole-body vibration exposure in healthy adults
Creators: name: Burnett, Wadena D.
name: Tweten, Michael
name: Okpalauwaekwe, Udoka
name: Trask, Catherine
name: Milosavljevic, Stephan
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Medicine
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Physiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Science Policy
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Computational Biology

description: <b>Background &amp; Objective</b><i>:</i> Negative health effects from occupational whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure during machinery operation include alterations in proprioception, vestibular function, reaction time, stress, motor response, and decrements in musculoskeletal health. To reduce WBV exposure during machinery operation, it may be possible to incorporate short rest break activities throughout the day. This study aims to determine if there are intervention activities that can minimize decrements in cognitive, proprioceptive, and musculoskeletal effects related to WBV exposure during machine operation. Eleven healthy adults participated in four 1-hour sessions of ecologically valid WBV exposure followed by one of four 5-minute activities: sitting, walking, 2 min of gaze stabilization exercise (GSE) coupled with 3 min of trunk mobility exercise (GSE + MOBIL), or 2 min of GSE coupled with a 3-minute walk (GSE + WALK). Baseline and post-activity measurements (rating of perceived discomfort, balance and postural sway measurements, 5-minute psychomotor vigilance task test) were submitted to a paired t-test to determine the effect of WBV exposure and activities on physical, cognitive, and sensorimotor systems and to a repeated measures ANOVA to determine any differences across activities. We observed degradation of the slowest 10% reaction speed outcomes between baseline and post-activity after walking (7.3%, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) and sitting (8.6%, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) but not after GSE + MOBIL or GSE + WALK activities. Slowest 10% reaction speed after GSE + MOBIL activity was faster than all other activities. The rating of perceived discomfort was higher after SIT and WALK activities. There were no notable differences in balance outcomes. When compared to sitting for 5 min, an activity including GSE and an active component, such as walking or trunk mobility exercises, resulted in maintenance of reaction time after WBV exposure. If confirmed in occupational environments, GSE may provide a simple, rapid, effective, and inexpensive means to protect against decrements in reaction time after WBV exposure. A 5-minute intervention activity after 1 hour of occupational whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure may provide protection against detriments in reaction time.Intervention activities that include a gaze stabilization exercise component maintained the slowest reaction speeds after 1 hour of WBV exposure, whereas sitting and walking activities resulted in a further slowing of the slowest reaction speeds.It may be possible for machinery operators to incorporate gaze stabilization activities in occupational environments, either in or out-of-cab, but further evaluation for feasibility and practicality of in-field adoption is required. A 5-minute intervention activity after 1 hour of occupational whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure may provide protection against detriments in reaction time. Intervention activities that include a gaze stabilization exercise component maintained the slowest reaction speeds after 1 hour of WBV exposure, whereas sitting and walking activities resulted in a further slowing of the slowest reaction speeds. It may be possible for machinery operators to incorporate gaze stabilization activities in occupational environments, either in or out-of-cab, but further evaluation for feasibility and practicality of in-field adoption is required.