Relaxation

Effectiveness of the VAT to Enhance Relaxation

Freeman, C, St. Mary’s Hospital, Florida

Source: Science Direct and PMID: 17400144

Twenty individuals, patients and staff of a psychiatric facility experienced fifteen minutes of music vibrotactily via a VA recliner. Twenty similar individuals experienced the same fifteen minutes of music non-vibrotactily under the same environmental conditions but sitting in an ordinary reclining chair. The study participants reported an overall reduction of anxiety following the music regardless of how it was presented.These reductions in anxiety were found to be statistically significant. The researcher reported however, that the reduction in anxiety experienced

by the individuals using the Somatron was greater than that experienced by the individuals listening to music via a cassette player while sitting in the recliner. This difference between the groups was also found to be statistically significant.