ABSTRACT
Background: Irrespective of source of stress, high levels of emotional stress promotes cardiovascular,neurological and behavioral changes and negative life style practices, which has negative impact on qualityof life.Objective: The present study was planned with the aim to provide scientific evidence for beneficial effectsof vestibular stimulation in limiting stress induced changes in quality of life.Materials and methods: 240 healthy college students were included in the study after obtaining writteninformed consent. Vestibular stimulation was administered by making the participants to swing on a swingin back to front direction, according to their comfort as per standard methods. This was a longitudinal follow-up study in which, participants were assessed three times. The first assessment was performed duringregular classes (with no examination in preceding two weeks and forth coming two weeks), these are pre-intervention values. The second assessment was performed eight months after the intervention (duringregular classes), and third assessment was performed sixteen months after the intervention in stressedstate (A week before the University examinations). Quality of life was assessed by using WHOQOL-BREF.Results: Significant increase in physical health, psychological, social relationships and environment scoreswas observed in both males and females followed by vestibular stimulation.Conclusion: vestibular stimulation significantly improved overall quality of life. Hence, the study supportsadoption of vestibular stimulation as an adjunctive therapy to achieve multiple life style benefits includingbetter quality of life in general.
ABSTRACT
The present study was designed to standardize optimal vestibular stimulation and to investigate its impact on anxiety levels in college students. Vestibular stimulation was achieved by swinging on a swing (Back to front direction) and the participants were advised to adjust frequency, duration and intensity, according to comfort. Frequency, intensity and duration were recorded manually. The anxiety status was assessed by using Spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) before and after vestibular stimulation. It has been observed that the anxiety status was significantly decreased after vestibular stimulation. There is a need for future study with larger sample size to substantiate the therapeutic validity of vestibular stimulation as a physiological treatment for stress relief and stress related disorders among college students.
ABSTRACT
Stress is common for all organisms either in the form of eustress (beneficial) or as distress (harmful). Stress is highly diverse in present world and its effects in organisms are well studied. This study is a comparative effect of stress in the generation of reactive oxygen species in albino Wistar rats, which are seldom reported. Here animals were grouped into four and the test animals of each group were administered with any one of the following stress, namely forced swimming induced stress (FS), and noise induced stress (NS), immobilization stress (IS) and overcrowding stress (OS). After stress administration, serum cortisol was estimated as a bio marker of stress in the albino rats, and the liver homogenate were used to estimate superoxide dismutase (SOD) by using rat Elisa kit in the spectrophotometer. The data were processed with unpaired‘t’ test. The cortisol levels were found to be increased in a highly significant level (P<0.001) in all the groups as compared to the normal control. And the stress level was found to be maximum in the FS group in comparison with other groups. The mean cortisol level in different stress groups such as FS, NS, IS and OS were found to be 4.15, 3.7, 3.63, 3.62 μ gm/dl respectively. Among all the stressed groups, the SOD level in the FS group were found to be increased in a highly significant level (P<0.001) in comparison with normal control group. The SOD level in FS group was (30.75 U/mgm. protein) followed by OS (28.96), noise (28.88) and IS (28.77).