Summary
A total of 18 healthy subjects (9 men and 9 women) 20–35 years of age were used to study the effect of vibration frequency on finger blood flow. Seven vibration frequencies of 16, 31.5, 63, 125, 250, 500 and 1,000 Hz, at vibrational accelerations of 10 m/s2 (rms: root mean square) or 50 m/s2 (rms), with the exception of 16 Hz, which was measured at only 10 m/s2 (rms), were randomly applied to the palm of the right hand for 1 min at intervals of about 3 min. Finger blood flow was measured simultaneously in both the right and the left middle fingers with a blood flowmeter using a thermal diffusion method and in the left middle finger with a laser Doppler flowmeter. The experiments were performed in an artificial climate chamber set at 23°C air temperature and 50% humidity. Relatively great responses were observed at frequencies of 31.5–63 and 250–500 Hz on the exposed and unexposed sides, respectively, as measured with a blood flowmeter using a thermal diffusion method and at 31.5–63 as well as 500 Hz on the unexposed side with a laser Doppler flowmeter. These results may be related to Meissner's and pacinian corpuscles.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bini G, Hagbarth KE, Hynninen P, Wallin GB (1980) Regional similarities and differences in thermoregulatory vaso- and sudomotor tone. J Physiol 306:553–565
Brawley BW (1968) The pathophysiology of intracerebral steal following carbon dioxide inhalation, an experimental study. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 22 [Suppl 102]:XIII:B
Burton AC (1939) The range variability of the blood flow in the human fingers and the vasomotor regulation of body temperature. Am J Physiol 127:437–453
Carter LP, Atkinson JR (1973) Cortical blood flow in controlled hypotension as measured by thermal diffusion. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 36:906–913
Färkkilä M, Pyykkö I (1979) Blood flow on the contralateral hand during vibration and hand grip contractions of lumberjacks. Scand J Work Environ Health 5:368–374
Harada N (1978) Studies on the changes in vibratory sensation threshold at fingertip in relation to some physical parameters of exposed vibration: 2. A study on the equal TTS curves of the vibratory sensation and the hygienic allowable limit of portable mechanized tool (in Japanese) Jpn J Hyg 33:706–717
Hyvärinen J, Pyykkö I, Sundberg S (1973) Vibration frequencies and amplitudes in the etiology of traumatic vasospastic disease. Lancet I:791–794
Kondo T, Sakakibara H, Miyao M, Akamatsu Y, Yamada S, Nakagawa T, Koike Y (1987) Effect on exposure to hand-transmitted vibration on digital skin temperature change. Ind Health 25:41–53
Mountcastle VB, Talbot WH, Kornhuber HH (1967) Neural basis of sense of flutter-vibration. Science 155:597–600
Nakamura H (1987) Development of a system for monitoring the body surface circulation and its application: 1. Fundamental study (in Japanese) Jpn J Hyg 41:896–913
Nasu Y (1977) Changes of the skin temperature caused by local vibratory stimulation in normals and patients with vibration syndrome. Yonago Acta Med 21:89–99
Nohara S, Okamoto K, Okada A (1986) Peripheral circulatory and nervous response to various frequencies of local vibration exposure. Scand J Work Environ Health 12:382–384
Pyykkö I, Hyvärinen J (1973) The physiological basis of the traumatic vasospastic disease: a sympathetic vasoconstrictor reflex triggered by high frequency vibration? Work Environ Health 10:36–47
Sato M (1961) Response of pacinian corpuscles to sinusoidal vibration. J Physiol 159:391–409
Stern MD (1975) In vivo evaluation of microcirculation by coherent light scattering. Nature 254:56–58
Talbot WH, Darin-Smith I, Kornhuber HH, Mountcastle VB (1968) The sense of flutter-vibration: comparison of the human capacity with response patterns of mechanoreceptive afferents from the monkey hand. J Neurophysiol 31:301–335
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Furuta, M., Sakakibara, H., Miyao, M. et al. Effect of vibration frequency on finger blood flow. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 63, 221–224 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381572
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381572