The Effect of CV4 and Sacral Technique on the Alpha Bands Power

The Effect of CV4 and Sacral Technique on the Alpha Bands Power: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Compression of the fourth ventricle (CV4), is the most studied cranial technique, commonly used by Osteopathy in Cranial Field practitioners. Evidence attributed to CV4 some effects on nervous system functions, however, the supporting evidence for CV4 clinical benefits is promising but still poor. The osteopathic tradition considers the sacrum linked to the cranium through anatomical and functional connections. To our knowledge, no studies explored the potential effect of a sacral technique on brain activity as an indicator of a neurophysiological connection between the occiput and sacrum. This study aims to explore this effect by measuring the alpha-band activity during the application of a sacral technique (ST) compared to the CV4 application.

Forty healthy volunteers will receive a combination of CV4 technique, CV4 sham, sacral technique (ST) and sacral sham technique (sST).

Each session, split by a 4-hour washout, will start with 10 min of no treatment (resting state), followed by two randomized interventions. Alpha EEG will be continuously recorded during each intervention and 10 min after, for a total of approximately 50-60 min per session.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age
• Subjects had to sleep for at least 6 hours the night before the experiment

Exclusion Criteria:

• Use of Psychoactive or Psychotropic Substances
• Cerebrovascular diseases
• Recent headaches
• Use of nicotine in the 24 hours prior to the quantitative EEG registration
• Use of alcohol in the previous 12 hours.