Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation and Balance control in Parkinson’s: V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation and Balance control in Parkinson’s Disease
IRAS ID
265315
Contact name
David Wilkinson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Kent
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressive degenerative neurological disorder affecting the physical, psychological, social and functional state of an individual. It is characterised by a number of symptoms including resting tremor (uncontrolled movement when at rest), bradykinesia (slowness of movement), rigidity (stiffness caused by muscles being unable to relax), and postural instability (issues with balance) (Goodwin et al., 2008; Hoehn and Yahr, 1967; Hughes, et al. 1992; Rajput, et al. 1993).
PD affects an estimated 0.2% of the population, with prevalence increasing to approximately 4% in those over 80 (Clarke, 2007). The UK’s ageing population means that the number of individuals living with PD is likely to increase (Reeve et al., 2014), significantly impacting the healthcare system (Rogers et al., 2017). It is therefore increasingly important to find innovative and forward-thinking approaches to improve treatments, and reduce the load on services. Current treatment is to provide individuals with Physiotherapy; yet provision is often inconsistent, and treatments of most benefit not established (Tomlinson et al., 2012).
Galvanic Vestibular Simulation (GVS) is a technique for activating the human balance organ within the inner ear. GVS uses electrical currents to initiate neuronal activity in the vestibular system without any movement of the head. In PD patients, research has shown that GVS can help to improve balance (Kataoka et al., 2016), reduce postural sway (Pal et al., 2009), and improve responses to maintain an upright position (Samoudi et al., 2015). At present, the optimal frequency of use is unknown.
The proposed research is a feasibility study to determine whether a study to answer the above question can be undertaken, and establish whether the methodology is acceptable to participants. If such a study proves feasible, we plan to attempt to establish what the optimal frequency for therapeutic delivery of GVS through a fully powered study.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/LO/0541
Date of REC Opinion
23 Apr 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion