Efficacy of Whole-Body Vibration Training on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Clinical and Functional Outcomes, and Quality of Life in Women with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Vanessa Gonçalves César Ribeiro, Ana Cristina Rodrigues Lacerda, Jousielle Márcia dos Santos, Ana Carolina Coelho-Oliveira, Sueli Ferreira da Fonseca, A.C.N. Prates, J. Flor, Bruna Caroline Chaves Garcia, Rosalina Tossige-Gomes, Hércules Ribeiro Leite, José Sebastião Cunha Fernandes, Arthur Nascimento Arrieiro, Alessandro Sartório, Borja Sañudo, Danúbia da Cunha de Sá-Caputo, Mário Bernardo-Filho, Pedro Henrique Scheidt Figueiredo, Henrique Silveira Costa, Vanessa Pereira Lima, Renato Fleury Cardoso, Alessandra de Carvalho Bastone, Luana Aparecida Soares, Vanessa Amaral Mendonça, Rédha Taïar
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of whole-body vibration training (WBVT) on blood brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and determine the clinical and functional outcomes in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Thirty-two women with FMS were randomized into an intervention group (IG), receiving 6 weeks of WBVT, or a control group (CG) with no intervention. The outcomes at the baseline and follow-up in both groups included blood BDNF levels, sit-to-stand test (STS), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and visual analogue scale (VAS). WBVT resulted in a group-by-time interaction effect. Thus, after the intervention time, the IG had increased blood BDNF levels ( <a:math xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"> <a:mi>p</a:mi> <a:mo>=</a:mo> <a:mn>0.045</a:mn> </a:math> ), a higher number of repetitions on the STS test ( <c:math xmlns:c="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M2"> <c:mi>p</c:mi> <c:mo>=</c:mo> <c:mn>0.011</c:mn> </c:math> ), and increased walking distance on the 6MWT ( <e:math xmlns:e="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M3"> <e:mi>p</e:mi> <e:mo>=</e:mo> <e:mn>0.010</e:mn> </e:math> ), compared to CG. Moreover, there was a reduction in the scores of the FIQ ( <g:math xmlns:g="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M4"> <g:mi>p</g:mi> <g:mo>=</g:mo> <g:mn>0.001</g:mn> </g:math> ), the PSQI ( <i:math xmlns:i="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M5"> <i:mi>p</i:mi> <i:mo>=</i:mo> <i:mn>0.001</i:mn> </i:math> ), the BDI ( <k:math xmlns:k="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M6"> <k:mi>p</k:mi> <k:mo>=</k:mo> <k:mn>0.017</k:mn> </k:math> ), and pain assessed using VAS ( <m:math xmlns:m="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M7"> <m:mi>p</m:mi> <m:mo>=</m:mo> <m:mn>0.008</m:mn> </m:math> ) in IG. The results demonstrate that WBVT promotes an increase in blood BDNF levels, with concomitant improvement in lower limb muscle strength, aerobic capacity, clinical symptoms, and quality of life in women with FMS. This trial is registered with Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (REBEC; RBR-38nbbx) (https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-38nbbx).