# Acute Effects of Whole-Body Vibration on Gait Kinematics in Individuals with Parkinson's Disease
## 1 Introduction
Moreover, the above-mentioned study has primarily focused on the benefits of chronic WBV exposure without considering the potential influence of isometric contraction performed without vibration stimuli. This raises the question of whether the observed benefits are attributable to the vibration stimulus or the isometric contraction. Therefore, we decided to investigate the acute effects of WBV as a first step to further our understanding of its mechanisms in PD. Specifically, this study is the first to compare the effects of WBV with an isometric task performed without vibration, allowing us to isolate the contribution of vibration from that of muscle contraction. This approach may help clarify whether the chronic benefits of WBV are due to the vibration stimulus or to the isometric contraction. However, while the benefits of chronic WBV interventions are well-documented [18], the acute effects of WBV on gait kinematics remain less understood, with few studiesexamining this aspect. Acute WBV can induce immediate neuromuscular and biomechanical responses (e.g., modulation of spinal reflexes, muscle activation patterns) that differ fundamentally from the structural and neural adaptations observed with long-term training [19; 20]. Understanding these short-term effects is critical because it could improve WBV protocols and provide immediate and clinically meaningful improvements in gait control that support daily activities and complement chronic interventions. Therefore, studying the acute impact of WBV on gait parameters can fill an important gap in knowledge and supplement existing evidence on the chronic effects of vibration stimuli. WBV interventions have been successfully applied in other neurological conditions, like cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and dementia [21; 22; 23; 24]. Moreover, the 10 m walk test (10 MWT) is a commonly used and reliable measure of gait speed in PD, with important clinical implications like predicting fall risk [25]. However, variations in test administration like static versus dynamic starts or single versus repeated trials raise questions about standardization and consistency. [PERSON] et al. (2018) [25] investigated different 10 m procedures in patients with mild PD and found that variations of the procedure produced similar results with minimal measurement error. Therefore, 10 MWT may be used as a simple test for clinical and research purposes in this population. Despite these promising results, the significant variability in the vibratory parameters (frequency and amplitude) used in different studies prevents the adoption of standard protocols. Gait speed may be affected by different spatiotemporal parameters like step length, stride length, stride time, and cadence [26]. However, no data are available regarding the influence of WBV on the above-mentioned variables. Therefore, this study aims to examine how the exposure to vibration stimuli may influence spatiotemporal gait kinematics in individuals with Parkinson's disease. By analyzing spatiotemporal gait parameters during a 10-meter walk test, the study seeks to determine whether vibration stimuli can improve gait performance, potentially mitigating Parkinson's-related gait problems. The results may contribute to the development of non-pharmacological interventions to improve mobility and reduce the risk of falls in people with [PERSON]'s disease. Our hypothesis is that acute WBV could improve gait speed by modifying gait kinematics parameters, potentially offering a complementary therapy that enhances both short- and long-term mobility.