ORIGINAL RESEARCH
The effect of a single procedure of combined micropolarization on autonomic regulation and sensorimotor reactions
1 Research Institute of Hygiene, Occupational Pathology and Human Ecology of the Federal Medical Biological Agency, St. Petersburg, Russia
2 Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
3 Pavlov Institute of Physiology, St. Petersburg, Russia
Correspondence should be addressed: Ivan B. Sivachenko
Bekhtereva st., 1, korp. 3, St. Petersburg, 192019, Russia; ur.liam@d_snava
Author contribution: IB Sivachenko — planning, coordination and organization of the study, analysis of the results, conclusions and discussion; DS Medvedev — organization of the study, research supervision, conclusions and discussion; TA Fedorova, MV Tsimbal, NV Steinberg — execution of the practical part of the study with volunteers, processing of the data obtained; GA Moiseenko — consulting, analysis of the results, conclusions and discussion.
Compliance with ethical standards: the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Research Institute of Hygiene, Occupational Pathology and Human Ecology of FMBA of Russia (minutes #2 of February 28, 2019). All volunteers signed the informed written consent to participation in the study.
Micropolarization was already proved an effective method for restoring impaired brain functions and improving intracerebral processes in the absence of impairments. Combining stimulation methods is a promising approach: a combination of electrode positioning methods can increase the efficacy of the procedures and find application in various fields, from sports through machinery operation to support of operatives of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, etc. This study aimed to assess the effect of a single combined micropolarization procedure on the functional state of the autonomic nervous system and sensorimotor reactions of conventionally healthy individuals. It involved 31 people and relied on the methods enabling evaluation of sensorimotor reactions, cardiorhythmography with spectral analysis of heart rate variability and pupillary reflexes assessment. Volunteers underwent the combined micropolarization procedure once, the duration of the procedure was 40 minutes. The most effective combinations were transspinal plus transcranial micropolarization with positioning in the region of premotor cortex (short-term shift of the autonomic balance towards parasympathetic influence by 48.7%; optimization of the pupil recovery function by 26.4%; increase in interference immunity by 32.2%) and "solar" plus transcranial micropolarization in the area of the temporal zone of cerebral cortex (15.8% increase of the orthostatic test transition period ratio; 6.2% deceleration of the visual-motor reaction).
Keywords: functional state, transcranial micropolarization, autonomic regulation, sensorimotor reactions, transcranial stimulation, direct current