# University of Oulu combines vibrations and nitroglycerin to clear brain proteins in trial

- Published: 2026-11-06 07:31 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: amyloid-beta 42, whole body vibration, nitroglycerin, glymphatic clearance, University of Oulu trial
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-7b2103130078bf0992bf85c3_university_of_oulu/

**A clinical trial on 29 healthy adults demonstrated that whole-body vibration paired with nitroglycerin raises blood levels of Alzheimer's-related amyloid-beta.**

![University of Oulu combines vibrations and nitroglycerin to clear brain proteins in trial](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/a1f954c11e428693.jpg)
*Goleisureintl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0*

Researchers from the University of Oulu in Finland tested a non-invasive protocol on 29 healthy adult participants without cognitive impairments to stimulate waste clearance from the brain, according to lomazoma.com [1]. The experimental therapy combined whole-body mechanical vibrations with a vasodilator to promote fluid dynamics through the glymphatic system [1]. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications [1].

During the trial sessions, subjects lay for nearly 40 minutes on a specialized mattress delivering whole-body vibrations at frequencies between 22 and 50 Hertz [1]. Simultaneously, participants received sublingual nitroglycerin: two 0.5-milligram tablets administered roughly 20 minutes apart [1]. Nitroglycerin dilates blood vessels, which researchers hypothesized would drive fluid movement through brain tissue when paired with mechanical oscillations [1].

## Blood protein changes

Following the combined session, blood levels of three brain-derived proteins increased with statistical significance: amyloid-beta 40, amyloid-beta 42, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) [1]. Amyloid-beta 42, a key biomarker associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology, showed an average blood concentration increase of 35 percent [1]. Imaging scans also registered shifts in cerebrospinal fluid dynamics [1].

Control sessions spaced at least a week apart tested each component independently on the same cohort [1]. Brain scans revealed that vibration alone or nitroglycerin alone produced less than half the measured effect of the combined intervention [1].

## Limitations and next steps

Outside researchers noted that increased systemic levels do not definitively prove accelerated brain clearance [1]. An alternative explanation is that the protocol slows the degradation of amyloid-beta 42 in the liver [1]. Furthermore, brain scans reflect fluid flow indirectly rather than tracing solute elimination directly [1].

The intervention was generally well tolerated, though six subjects reported nausea or headaches [1]. Lead researcher Vesa Kiviniemi warned against self-experimentation due to the hypotensive risks of nitroglycerin, which can cause fainting [1]. The team plans an upcoming trial involving 60 participants with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease to test whether the acute effect reproduces in affected populations [1].

## Sources

1. [lomazoma.com](https://lomazoma.com/alzheimer-forscher-wollen-das-gehirn-mithilfe-einer-schuettelmatratze-aufraeumen)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-7b2103130078bf0992bf85c3_university_of_oulu/