Effect of low frequency sound vibration on acute stress response in university students—Pilot randomized controlled trial

BackgroundLow frequency sound (LFS, combined with music listening) is applied by practitioners in vibroacoustic therapy who report a positive effect of this intervention on acute stress response. However, there is a lack of research on this topic and studies with mainly objective measurements are sc...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jiří Kantor, Zdeněk Vilímek, Martin Vítězník, Pavel Smrčka, Elsa A. Campbell, Monika Bucharová, Jana Grohmannová, Gabriela Špinarová, Kateřina Janíčková, Jian Du, Jiaoli Li, Markéta Janátová, Vojtěch Regec, Kristýna Krahulcová, Lucia Kantorová
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-10-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.980756/full
Description
Summary:BackgroundLow frequency sound (LFS, combined with music listening) is applied by practitioners in vibroacoustic therapy who report a positive effect of this intervention on acute stress response. However, there is a lack of research on this topic and studies with mainly objective measurements are scarce.Materials and methodsIn this pilot double-blinded Randomized Controlled Trial we used a multimodal approach to measurement of acute stress response in 54 international university students attending a university summer school in Olomouc, the Czech Republic who were individually randomized into a group receiving LFS vibration and a control group. In both groups, the acute stress response was measured by heart rate variability (HRV), visual analogue scales (VAS) for stress and muscle relaxation.ResultsDifferences were found in pre-test post-test measures, however, between groups differences occurred only for HRV, with statistically significant improvement in the experimental group (parameter LF/HF and pNN50).ConclusionVibroacoustic therapy has the potential to contribute to the stress management of university students. Further research is needed to explore the effect of LFS on stress response, especially when applied without additional music listening.
ISSN:1664-1078