Abstract
PURPOSE: Previous studies have documented the lack of ultrasound's non-thermal effects on nerve conduction using frequencies of 1 MHz and 870 kHz. The purpose of this study was to determine the biophysical effects of continuous ultrasound on median local forearm temperature and motor nerve conduction velocities using frequencies of 3.0 MHz. SUBJECTS: Twelve healthy subjects (6 males, 6 females, age $22.30{\pm}2.41$ yrs, weight $61.33{\pm}10.16$ kg, height $167.58{\pm}8.04$ cm) without a history of neurological or musculoskeletal injury to their dominant arm volunteered for this study. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Each subject received a total of five treatments, one each at .0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 W/$cm^2$ of 3 MHz continuous ultrasound on the anterior surface of the middle area of dominant forearm for 10 minutes. Dependent measures for forearm local temperature and median motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) were taken pretreatment and immediately post-treatment. One-way ANOVA were used for each dependent measure. RESULTS: The posttreatment forearm local temperature were differed significantly (p<0.001) between intensities of ultrasound. The posttreatment forearm local temperature of the ultrasound treated with 1.0 w/$cm^2$, 1.5 w/$cm^2$ and 2.0 w/$cm^2$ were significantly higher than 0.5 w/$cm^2$ and 0.0 w/$cm^2$ of ultrasound (p<0.05). The posttreatment median MNCV were differed significantly from the respective pretreatment velocities (p<0.001). The MNCV of the ultrasound treated with 0.0 w/$cm^2$ and 0.5 w/$cm^2$ were significantly (p<0.05) slower than that observed pretreatment, while the three ultrasound intensities produced significantly increased posttreatment MNCV: 1.0 w/$cm^2$ and 1.5 w/$cm^2$ and 2.0 W/$cm^2$. The posttreatment MNCV at 2.0 w/$cm^2$ and 1.5 w/$cm^2$ was significantly faster than that at 0 w/$cm^2$, 0.5 w/$cm^2$ and 1.0 w/$cm^2$ (p<0.05), the MNCV at 1.0 w/$cm^2$ was significantly faster than that associated with 0 w/$cm^2$ and 0.5 w/$cm^2$ of ultrasound (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The decreased median motor forearm local temperature and MNCV of the ultrasound treated with 0.0 w/$cm^2$ and 0.5 w/$cm^2$ were attributed to the cooling effect by ultrasound transmission gel. Local forearm temperature and nerve conduction velocity were directly related to the intensity of ultrasound. Alterations in MNCV from ultrasound on healthy nerves appeared to be related to temperature changes induced by thermal effects of ultrasound.