2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

The effect of hand stimulation on vigilance whilst sitting without back support

Research Project

Project/Area Number	23792613
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Research Field	Clinical nursing
Research Institution	Ehime Prefectural University of Health Science
Principal Investigator	KAJIWARA Rie 愛媛県立医療技術大学, 保健科学部, 助教 (70514561)
Project Period (FY)	2011 – 2013
Keywords	背面解放端座位 / 手掌 / 覚醒度
Research Abstract	We investigated the effect of hand stimulation on vigilance whilst sitting without back support. The results indicated that hand stimulation effectively stimulated the brain and resulted in increased vigilance for those in a sitting position without back support when compared to those in a resting dorsal position. In addition, palm stimulation improved the ability of participants to follow instructions and the act of grasping a towel helped put them at ease. Furthermore, sympathetic nerve activity was more active following stimulation, and the kneading helped participants regulate their mood. Collectively, these results suggest that palm stimulation is an effective technique for increasing vigilance whilst sat without back support.