Hand-arm vibration syndrome in a tropical environment

2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23590750
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Hygiene
• Research Institution: Wakayama Medical University
• Principal Investigator: MIYASHITA Kazuhisa 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (50124889)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): YOSHIMASU Koichi 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (40382337) ; FUKUMOTO Jin 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (30511555) ; TAKEMURA Shigeki 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (70511559) ; MORIOKA Ikuharu 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (50124889) ; MIYAI Nobuyuki 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (50124889)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MAEDA Setsuo 近畿大学, 総合社会学部, 教授 (70122108) ; SAKAGUCHI Shunji 関西医療大学, 保健医療学部, 准教授 (40249462)
• Project Period (FY): 2011 – 2013
• Keywords: 振動障害 / 熱帯地域 / 温帯地域 / 循環障害 / 神経障害 / 量・反応関係

Research Abstract

Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) has not been clearly demonstrated in the tropical environment. In Malaysia, medical examination was practiced for the forestry workers, construction workers and automobile assembly workers exposed to hand arm vibration in a tropical area. Hand-arm vibration syndrome presents with predominantly neurological symptoms in the tropical environment. Deterioration in the sensory function of the hands is likely to precede the symptoms. The severity of sensory function disorders among the vibratory tool workers in the tropical environment is as bad as the temperate environment. Vascular disturbances do occur in the tropical environment but do not present clinically. In dose-response relationship, the severity of neurological symptoms and vibrotactile threshold was directly related to the vibration exposure dose in a tropical environment.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Dose- response Relationship between Hand- transmitted Vibration and Hand-arm Vibration Syndrome in a Tropical Environment (2013)
  • Author(s): Su T A, Maeda S, Fukumoto J, Darus A, Hoe V CW, Miyai N, Isahak M, Takemura S, Bulgiba A, Yoshimasu K, Miyashita K
  • Journal Title: Occup Environ Med Volume: 70 Pages: 498-504
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] A Comparison of Hand-arm Vibration Syndrome between Malaysian and Japanese Workers (2013)
  • Author(s): Su T A, Fukumoto J, Darus A, Hoe V CW, Miyai N, Isahak M, Takemura S, Bulgiba A, Yoshimasu K, Maeda S, Miyashita K
  • Journal Title: J Occup Health Volume: 55 Pages: 468-477
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Total Operation Time (TOT) of Vibratory Tools and Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) in Japanese Wakayama Forestry Workers (2012)
  • Author(s): Fukumoto J,Maeda S,Su T.A,Nakajima R,Takemura S,Yoshimasu K,Miyashita K
  • Organizer: The 20th Japan Conference on Human Response to Vibration (JCHRV2012)(第20回日本人体振動学会)
  • Place of Presentation: Kinki University,Osaka,Japan
  • Year and Date: 20120904-06
• [Presentation] Comparison of Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) among Foresters brtween Tropical and Temperate Clomate (2012)
  • Author(s): Fukumoto J,Takemura S,Yoshimasu K,Miyashita K,Maeda S,Su T.A,Nakajima R,Tateno M,Yoshikawa K,Miyai N,Nasu Y
  • Organizer: Inter-noise 2012 (国際騒音・振動学会2012)
  • Place of Presentation: New York,USA
  • Year and Date: 20120819-22
• [Presentation] A Systematic Review of Hand-arm Vibration Syndrome in Tropical Countries (2011)
  • Author(s): Anselm T S, Miyashita K, Maeda S
  • Organizer: Inter- noise 2011 (国際騒音・振動学会2011)
  • Place of Presentation: Osaka Japan
  • Year and Date: 20110904-07
• [Presentation] Measuring Conditions of Cold Provocation Tests : A Review of the Literature (2010)
  • Author(s): Takemura S, Maeda S, Fukumoto J, Yoshimasu K, Nakajima R, Tateno M, Yoshikawa K, Miyai N, Nasu Y, Miyashita K
  • Organizer: The 12th International Conference on Hand-Arm Vibration
  • Place of Presentation: THE WESTIN OTTAWA, CANADA
  • Year and Date: 20100713-17