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Pate A, Ouvrai N, Consigny Q, Fritz C. Two Rapid Alternatives Compared to the Staircase Method for the Estimation of the Vibrotactile Perception Threshold. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON HAPTICS 2024; 17:935-945. [PMID: 39401119 DOI: 10.1109/toh.2024.3479950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2025]
Abstract
Wearable vibrotactile devices seem now mature for entering the daily lives and practices of more and more users. However, vibrotactile perception can greatly differ between individuals, in terms of psychophysics and physiology, not to mention higher levels (cognitive or affective for example). Broadly-distributed and affordable vibrotactile devices hence must be adapted to each user's own perception, first of all by delivering intensity levels that are in the perceptible range of the user. This implies determining the user's own thresholds of perception, and then adapting the devices' output levels. Classical methods for the estimation of thresholds elicit too long procedures, and little is known about the reliability of other methods in the vibrotactile domain. This article focuses on two alternative methods for the estimation of amplitude thresholds in the vibrotactile modality ("increasing-intensity" and "decreasing-intensity" methods), and compares their estimations to the estimations from a staircase method. Both rapid methods result in much shorter test durations, and are found less stressful and tiring than the classic method, while showing threshold estimations that are never found to differ by more than 1.5 JND from the estimations by the classic method.
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Qiu S, He Z, Wang R, Li R, Jin W, Chen L, Liu J, Yan F, Yang GZ, Feng Y. Indirect Shear Wave Excitation for Brain Magnetic Resonance Elastography With Minimal Cerebral Blood Flow Alteration. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2024; 71:2590-2598. [PMID: 38530718 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2024.3381708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) of brain relies on inducing and measuring shear waves in the brain. However, studies have shown vibration could induce changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF), which has a modulation effect and can affect the biomechanical properties measured. OBJECTIVE This work demonstrates the initial prototype of the indirect excitation method, which can generate shear waves in the brain with minimal changes in CBF. METHODS A simple system was designed to produce stable vibrations underneath the neck. Instead of directly stimulating the skull, shear waves were indirectly transmitted to the brain through the spine and brainstem. RESULTS Phantom results showed that the proposed actuator did not interfere with the routine imaging sequence and successfully generated multifrequency shear waves. When compared with the conventional direct head stimulation method, brain MRE results from the proposed actuator showed no significant differences in terms of intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and coefficients of variation (CV). Moreover, the octahedral shear strain (OSS) generated by the indirect excitation in the frontal and parietal lobes decreased by 25.96% and 16.73% respectively. Evaluation of CBF in healthy volunteers revealed no significant changes for the indirect excitation method, whereas significant decreases in CBF were observed in four subregions when employing direct excitation. CONCLUSION The proposed actuator offers a more accurate and comfortable approach to MRE measurements while causing minimal CBF alterations. SIGNIFICANCE This work presents the first demonstration of an indirect excitation brain MRE system that minimizes CBF changes, thus holding potential for future applications of brain MRE.
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Noël C, Settembre N. Near-wall hemodynamic parameters of finger arteries altered by hand-transmitted vibration. Comput Biol Med 2024; 168:107709. [PMID: 37992469 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sustained exposure to high-level hand-transmitted vibrations may result in angioneurotic disorders, which partly originate from vibration-altered hemodynamics in the finger arteries when repeating these disturbances throughout working life. Hence, the aim of this study is to assess the most relevant hemodynamic descriptors in the digital arteries, determine the relationship between the latter and vibration features, and gain better understanding of the physiological mechanisms involved. METHODS An experimental setup, mainly comprised of an ultra-high frequency ultrasound scanner and a vibration shaker, was used to image the digital proper volar arteries of the forefinger. Raw ultrasound data were post-processed by custom-made numerical routines to supply a pulsatile fluid mechanics model for computing the hemodynamic descriptors. Twenty-four healthy volunteers participated in the measurement campaign. Classical statistical methods were then applied to the dataset and also the wavelet transform for calculating the signal power in the frequency bands matching cardiac, respiratory, myogenic and neurogenic activities. RESULTS The artery diameter, the wall shear stress - WSS - and the WSS temporal gradient - WSSTG - were found to be the most relevant descriptors. Vibration-induced WSS was divided by three compared to its basal value whatever the vibration frequency and it was proportional to log2 of the acceleration level. Marked increases in WSSTG when stopping vibration might also lead to adverse health effects. Vibration caused a drop in WSS power for the frequency band associated with the neurogenic activity of the sympathetic nervous system. CONCLUSION This study may pave the way for a new framework to prevent vibration-induced vascular risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Noël
- Electromagnetism, Vibration, Optics laboratory, Institut national de recherche et de sécurité (INRS), Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
| | - Nicla Settembre
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Nancy University Hospital, University of Lorraine, France.
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Kong L, Qiu S, Chen Y, He Z, Huang P, He Q, Zhang RY, Feng XQ, Deng L, Li Y, Yan F, Yang GZ, Feng Y. Assessment of vibration modulated regional cerebral blood flow with MRI. Neuroimage 2023; 269:119934. [PMID: 36754123 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Human brain experiences vibration of certain magnitude and frequency during various physical activities such as vehicle transportation and machine operation, which may cause traumatic brain injury or other brain diseases. However, the mechanisms of brain pathogenesis due to vibration are not fully elucidated due to the lack of techniques to study brain functions while applying vibration to the brain at a specific magnitude and frequency. Here, this study reported a custom-built head-worn electromagnetic actuator that applied vibration to the brain in vivo at an accurate frequency inside a magnetic resonance imaging scanner while cerebral blood flow (CBF) was acquired. Using this technique, CBF values from 45 healthy volunteers were quantitatively measured immediately following vibration at 20, 30, 40 Hz, respectively. Results showed increasingly reduced CBF with increasing frequency at multiple regions of the brain, while the size of the regions expanded. Importantly, the vibration-induced CBF reduction regions largely fell inside the brain's default mode network (DMN), with about 58 or 46% overlap at 30 or 40 Hz, respectively. These findings demonstrate that vibration as a mechanical stimulus can change strain conditions, which may induce CBF reduction in the brain with regional differences in a frequency-dependent manner. Furthermore, the overlap between vibration-induced CBF reduction regions and DMN suggested a potential relationship between external mechanical stimuli and cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linghan Kong
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; National Engineering Research Center of Advanced Magnetic Resonance Technologies for Diagnosis and Therapy (NERC-AMRT), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Suhao Qiu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; National Engineering Research Center of Advanced Magnetic Resonance Technologies for Diagnosis and Therapy (NERC-AMRT), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Chen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; National Engineering Research Center of Advanced Magnetic Resonance Technologies for Diagnosis and Therapy (NERC-AMRT), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhao He
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; National Engineering Research Center of Advanced Magnetic Resonance Technologies for Diagnosis and Therapy (NERC-AMRT), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peiyu Huang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310000, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiang He
- Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Ru-Yuan Zhang
- Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Science, Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Mental Health Center Shanghai, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xi-Qiao Feng
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Linhong Deng
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164, China
| | - Yao Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fuhua Yan
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Guang-Zhong Yang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; National Engineering Research Center of Advanced Magnetic Resonance Technologies for Diagnosis and Therapy (NERC-AMRT), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yuan Feng
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Medical Robotics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, China; National Engineering Research Center of Advanced Magnetic Resonance Technologies for Diagnosis and Therapy (NERC-AMRT), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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Noe L C, Settembre N. Assessing mechanical vibration-altered wall shear stress in digital arteries. J Biomech 2021; 131:110893. [PMID: 34953283 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to implement and validate a method for assessing acute vibration-altered Wall Shear Stress (WSS) in the proper volar digital artery of the non-exposed left forefinger when subjecting the right hand to mechanical vibration. These changes of WSS may be involved in Vibration White Finger. Hence, an experimental device was set-up to link a vibration shaker and an ultra-high frequency ultrasound scanner. The Womersley-based WSS was computed by picking up the maximum velocity from pulse Wave Doppler measurements and extracting the artery diameter from B-mode images through an in-house image processing technique. The parameters of the former method were optimised on numerical ultrasound phantoms of cylindrical and lifelike arteries. These phantoms were computed with the FIELD II and FOCUS platforms which mimicked our true ultrasound device. The Womersley-based WSS were compared to full Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) and rigid wall models built from resonance magnetic images of a volunteer-specific forefinger artery. Our FSI model took into account the artery's surrounding tissues. The diameter computing procedure led to a bias of 4%. The Womersley-based WSS resulted in misestimating the FSI model by roughly 10% to 20%. No difference was found between the rigid wall computational model and FSI simulations. Regarding the WSS measured on a group of 20 volunteers, the group-averaged basal value was 3 Pa, while the vibration-altered WSS was reduced to 1 Pa, possibly triggering intimal hyperplasia mechanisms and leading to the arterial stenoses encountered in patients suffering from vibration-induced Raynaud's syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Noe L
- Electromagnetism, Vibration, Optics Laboratory, Institut national de recherche et de sécurité (INRS), Vandœuvre,-lès-Nancy, France.
| | - Nicla Settembre
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Nancy University Hospital, University of Lorraine, France
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Liao F, Zhang K, Zhou L, Chen Y, Elliott J, Jan YK. Effect of Different Local Vibration Frequencies on the Multiscale Regularity of Plantar Skin Blood Flow. ENTROPY 2020; 22:e22111288. [PMID: 33287056 PMCID: PMC7712514 DOI: 10.3390/e22111288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Local vibration has shown promise in improving skin blood flow (SBF). However, there is no consensus on the selection of the best vibration frequency. An important reason may be that previous studies utilized time- and frequency-domain parameters to characterize vibration-induced SBF responses. These parameters are unable to characterize the structural features of the SBF response to local vibrations, thus contributing to the inconsistent findings seen in vibration research. The objective of this study was to provide evidence that nonlinear dynamics of SBF responses would be an important aspect for assessing the effect of local vibration on SBF. Local vibrations at 100 Hz, 35 Hz, and 0 Hz (sham vibration) with an amplitude of 1 mm were randomly applied to the right first metatarsal head of 12 healthy participants for 10 min. SBF at the same site was measured for 10 min before and after local vibration. The degree of regularity of SBF was quantified using a multiscale sample entropy algorithm. The results showed that 100 Hz vibration significantly increased multiscale regularity of SBF but 35 Hz and 0 Hz (sham vibration) did not. The significant increase of regularity of SBF after 100 Hz vibration was mainly attributed to increased regularity of SBF oscillations within the frequency interval at 0.0095–0.15 Hz. These findings support the use of multiscale regularity to assess effectiveness of local vibration on improving skin blood flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuyuan Liao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an 710021, China;
| | - Keying Zhang
- Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA; (K.Z.); (L.Z.)
| | - Lingling Zhou
- Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA; (K.Z.); (L.Z.)
| | - Yanni Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an 710021, China;
| | - Jeannette Elliott
- Disability Resources and Educational Services, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA;
| | - Yih-Kuen Jan
- Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA; (K.Z.); (L.Z.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-217-300-7253
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Zhu T, Wang Y, Yang J, Liao F, Wang S, Jan YK. Wavelet-based analysis of plantar skin blood flow response to different frequencies of local vibration. Physiol Meas 2020; 41:025004. [DOI: 10.1088/1361-6579/ab6e56] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Ye Y, Griffin MJ. Assessment of thermotactile and vibrotactile thresholds for detecting sensorineural components of the hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2017; 91:35-45. [PMID: 28918454 PMCID: PMC5752730 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-017-1259-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thermotactile thresholds and vibrotactile thresholds are measured to assist the diagnosis of the sensorineural component of the hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). OBJECTIVES This study investigates whether thermotactile and vibrotactile thresholds distinguish between fingers with and without numbness and tingling. METHODS In 60 males reporting symptoms of the hand-arm vibration syndrome, thermotactile thresholds for detecting hot and cold temperatures and vibrotactile thresholds at 31.5 and 125 Hz were measured on the index and little fingers of both hands. RESULTS In fingers reported to suffer numbness or tingling, hot thresholds increased, cold thresholds decreased, and vibrotactile thresholds at both 31.5 and 125 Hz increased. With sensorineural symptoms on all three phalanges (i.e. numbness or tingling scores of 6), both thermotactile thresholds and both vibrotactile thresholds had sensitivities greater than 80% and specificities around 90%, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves around 0.9. There were correlations between all four thresholds, but cold thresholds had greater sensitivity and greater specificity on fingers with numbness or tingling on only the distal phalanx (i.e. numbness or tingling scores of 1) suggesting cold thresholds provide better indications of early sensorineural disorder. CONCLUSIONS Thermotactile thresholds and vibrotactile thresholds can provide useful indications of sensorineural function in patients reporting symptoms of the sensorineural component of HAVS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Ye
- Human Factors Research Unit, Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, Southampton, England, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Michael J Griffin
- Human Factors Research Unit, Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, Southampton, England, SO17 1BJ, UK.
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Ye Y, Griffin MJ. Reductions in finger blood flow induced by 125-Hz vibration: effect of location of contact with vibration. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2015; 89:425-33. [PMID: 26242632 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-015-1081-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study investigated whether the reductions in finger blood flow induced by 125-Hz vibration applied to different locations on the hand depend on thresholds for perceiving vibration at these locations. METHODS Subjects attended three sessions during which vibration was applied to the right index finger, the right thenar eminence, or the left thenar eminence. Absolute thresholds for perceiving vibration at these locations were determined. Finger blood flow in the middle finger of both hands was then measured at 30-s intervals during five successive 5-min periods: (i) pre-exposure, (ii) pre-exposure with 2-N force, (iii) 2-N force with vibration, (iv) post-exposure with 2-N force, (v) recovery. During period (iii), vibration was applied at 15 dB above the absolute threshold for perceiving vibration at the right thenar eminence. RESULTS Vibration at all three locations reduced finger blood flow on the exposed and unexposed hand, with greater reductions when vibrating the finger. Vibration-induced vasoconstriction was greatest for individuals with low thresholds and locations of excitation with low thresholds. CONCLUSIONS Differences in vasoconstriction between subjects and between locations are consistent with the Pacinian channel mediating both absolute thresholds and vibration-induced vasoconstriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Ye
- Human Factors Research Unit, Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, England, UK
| | - Michael J Griffin
- Human Factors Research Unit, Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, England, UK.
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Ye Y, Mauro M, Bovenzi M, Griffin MJ. Reduction in finger blood flow induced by hand-transmitted vibration: effect of hand elevation. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2015; 88:981-92. [DOI: 10.1007/s00420-015-1027-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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