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REVIEW article

Front. Neurol.
Sec. Experimental Therapeutics
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1422152

The effects of Whole-Body Vibration therapy on immune and brain functioning: current insights in the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms

Provisionally accepted
Gargi Ahuja Gargi Ahuja 1,2,3*Y. Laurisa A. Arauz Y. Laurisa A. Arauz 4Marieke Van Heuvelen Marieke Van Heuvelen 1,5Arjan Kortholt Arjan Kortholt 1,3Tamas Oroszi Tamas Oroszi 1,2Eddy A. Van Der Zee Eddy A. Van Der Zee 1,2
  • 1 University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
  • 2 Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
  • 3 Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
  • 4 Vrije University Brussels, Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
  • 5 Department of Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Whole-body vibration (WBV) therapy is a way of passive exercise in which subjects are exposed to mild and well-controlled mechanical vibrations through a vibrating platform. For a long time, studies have focused on the effects and applications of WBV to enhance musculoskeletal performance in athletes and patients suffering from musculoskeletal disorders. Recent evidence points towards the positive effect of WBV on the brain and its therapeutic potential in brain disorders. Research being done in the field gradually reveals cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying WBV affecting the body and brain. Particularly, the influence of WBV on immune and brain function is a growing field that warrants an up-to-date and integrated review. Immune function is closely intertwined with brain functioning and plays a significant role in various brain disorders. Dysregulation of the immune response is linked to conditions such as neuroinflammation, neurodegenerative diseases, and mood disorders, highlighting the crucial connection between the immune system and the brain. This review aims to explore the impact of WBV on the cellular and molecular pathways involved in immune and brain functions. Understanding the effects of WBV at a cellular and molecular level will aid in optimizing WBV protocols to improve its therapeutic potential for brain disorders.

    Keywords: Passive exercise, Neuroinflammation, neurotransmission, Neuroprotection, neurodegeneration, Vibration therapy

    Received: 24 Apr 2024; Accepted: 17 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Ahuja, Arauz, Van Heuvelen, Kortholt, Oroszi and Van Der Zee. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Gargi Ahuja, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.