The Vagus nerve (VN) serve as an "unconscious inner brain" that integrates messages from the body and provides metabolic homeostatic regulation to various organs.In this study the investigators want to compare different ways to stimulate the vagus nerve to assess their respective effects compared to a sham stimulation. Each participant will be exposed in a random way to 7 different ways to stimulate the VN: * Manual Head Massage * Mechanical Head Massager (BREO Inc. Helmet) * Low laser Therapy (LLT) * Sham LLT * Transcutaneous Electrical Nervous Stimulation (TENS) ear stimulation (as testing phase prototype device) * Deep and slow breathing (as testing intervention based on video app) * Relaxed reading time (as control situation) Therefore, within the same design the investigators want to conduct two separate studies that should lead to two separate publications: * Study 1: comparison of manual head massage to mechanical Helmet massager and relaxed reading * Study 2: comparison of LLT with sham LLT and relaxed reading The two other interventions: TENS ear stimulation and Deep and Slow breathing are purely observational to gain knowledge in context of a convenient design.
OBJECTIVES Overall objective is to assess the respective effects of the different ways to stimulate the Vagus Nerve on the Heart Rate Variability (HRV) parameters: High Frequency (HF), Low Frequency (LF), Total Power (TP), Heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP). Specific objectives: * Comparison of Manual Head Massage to Mechanical Head Massager to Control situation * Comparison of Low Laser Therapy (LLT) to sham LLT to control situation * Effects of TENS ear stimulation (descriptive) * Effects of Deep and Slow breathing (descriptive)
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
15
Duration 10 minutes.
Duration 10 minutes.
Duration 7 minutes.
Duration 7 minutes.
Duration 7 minutes.
A full respiratory cycle of 10 seconds with 5 seconds for inspiration and 5 seconds for expiration.
Duration 10 minutes.
Center for Autonomic Evaluation and Brain Plasticity Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection
Beijing, China
Changes of HRV recording parameters
The investigators will use the BIOPAC Machine that captures ECG data, signals were sampled at 500 Hz throughout the testing. Recorded data were reviewed and analyzed using AcqKnowledge software version 4.2. The HRV recording parameters include: (1) Very Low Frequency (VLF) (\< 0.04 Hz), (2) Low Frequency (LF) (0.04 - 0.15 Hz), (3) High Frequency (HF) (0.15 to 0.4 Hz), (4) Total Power (TP), which was calculated by summing up all frequency bands, (5) Total Power partial (TPp) (HF + LF), (6) HFnu (normalized unit of HF), (7) Ratio (HF divided by LF).
Time frame: Changes from baseline HRV parameters at post intervention 15 minutes
Change of Blood Pressure (Systolic and Diastolic Blood pressure)
Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure will be recorded by an automated monitoring device (OMROM - HEM 7124) at baseline (after the 5 minutes rest) and at the end of the 15 minutes follow-up.
Time frame: Change from baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure at post intervention 15 minutes
Change of Heart Rate
Heart rate will be monitored at the same time of blood pressure
Time frame: Change from baseline heart rate at post intervention 15 minutes
Change of Body Tension
Body tension is assessed using a a 10-point Likert-scale (the minimum score is 0, and the maximum score is 10)ratings of perceived body tension (BT) as indicator of stress. The highers scores indicate more stress.
Time frame: Change from baseline body tension at post intervention 15 minutes
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