Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation for gait and cognition
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation: a non-pharmacological therapeutic option in Lewy Body Disease?
IRAS ID
217399
Contact name
Lynn Rochester
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 30 days
Research summary
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with both motor and non-motor symptoms. Motor symptoms include gait problems such as reduced speed and reduced step length as well as poor balance. Non motor symptoms include cognitive deficits such as problems with memory and attention. Dopaminergic medication is used in PD to help with such symptoms but not all gait and cognitive symptoms are ameliorated with dopaminergic medication e.g. L-DOPA. Therefore, other treatments must be explored which target other neurotransmitter symptoms. The cholinergic system has a role in both gait and cognitive control which is associated with reduced cholinergic output from an area of the brain called the nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM). Previous drug trials targeting the cholinergic system have shown promising results for improvement in gait and cognitive symptoms, however, medications often cause unwanted side effects especially in older people. One way in which to enhance cholinergic output in the brain is by stimulating the vagus nerve using a handheld non-invasive vagus nerve stimulator, a treatment often used in epilepsy and migraine patients. Our previous work in a group of healthy controls demonstrated that this technique was effective at activating cholinergic output from the nbM. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effect of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation on gait and cognition in patients with PD.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EM/0048
Date of REC Opinion
16 Feb 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion