Summary: Gentle, controlled stimulation of the ear canal reduced both motor and non-motor symptoms in people with Parkinson’s disease, with many therapeutic benefits persisting for weeks after treatment ended.
Source: University of Kent
New research shows that non-invasive ear stimulation can ease a range of Parkinson’s symptoms.
A randomized, controlled clinical study led by researchers at the University of Kent found that brief, twice-daily sessions of ear-canal stimulation over two months were associated with meaningful improvements in both motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Participants reported better mobility and movement and also experienced gains in cognitive functions such as decision-making, attention, and memory, as well as improvements in mood and sleep. Many people said everyday tasks felt easier by the study’s end.
Notably, most therapeutic gains were strongest about five weeks after the treatment finished, suggesting the intervention may generate effects that outlast the active stimulation period.
The stimulation was delivered at home using a portable headset manufactured for clinical research by Scion Neurostim, a US device company. Participants continued their usual dopamine replacement medications while using the device, which was designed to be easy to use and self-administered.
The trial was led by Professor David Wilkinson from the University of Kent’s School of Psychology. The study enrolled 46 individuals with Parkinson’s disease, with 33 participants completing the treatment and follow-up assessments. Clinical collaborators included Dr. Mohamed Sakel, Director of the East Kent NHS Neuro-rehabilitation Service, and Dr. Mayur Bodani, consultant neuropsychiatrist at the Kent & Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust. Recruitment support was provided by the national charity Parkinson’s UK.
Professor Wilkinson commented that the findings raise the intriguing possibility that combining standard drug therapies with gentle, non-invasive stimulation of the vestibular (balance) organs might improve management of some Parkinson’s symptoms.
Dr. Beckie Port, Research Manager at Parkinson’s UK, described the results as very exciting for a small-scale study. She emphasized that although more research is needed to understand precisely how stimulation of the ear’s nerve produces these benefits, the approach shows promise for relieving troublesome symptoms that many people with Parkinson’s experience.
Professor Ray Chaudhuri, Director of the National Parkinson Foundation Centre of Excellence at King’s College Hospital, said the findings are encouraging. He noted that observing both broad effectiveness and durable improvements, especially in non-motor symptoms, would be novel. Non-motor symptoms—such as sleep disturbance, mood changes and cognitive impairment—are often under-treated despite their major impact on quality of life, making any promising new therapy notable.
This study builds on earlier work from Professor Wilkinson’s group showing that gentle stimulation of the inner ear can also improve neurological symptoms following stroke and traumatic brain injury, supporting the idea that vestibular stimulation may influence diverse brain systems.
Source:
University of Kent
Media contact:
Martin Herrema – University of Kent
Image source:
The image is in the public domain.
Original research (open access):
“Caloric vestibular stimulation for the management of motor and non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease.” David Wilkinson et al. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2019.05.031
Abstract (summary)
Caloric vestibular stimulation for the management of motor and non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease
Introduction
Previous case reports suggested repeated sessions of caloric vestibular stimulation (CVS) could reduce both motor and non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease. This study aimed to test that observation with a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled design.
Methods
Thirty-three people with PD who were on stable anti-Parkinsonian medication completed either active or placebo treatment. Participants self-administered CVS at home twice daily using a portable, pre-programmed ThermoNeuroModulation (TNM™) device that delivered continually varying thermal waveforms via aluminum ear probes mounted on a wearable headset. The study included a four-week baseline period, eight weeks of treatment, and follow-up assessments at five and 24 weeks after treatment ended. Standardized clinical measures were collected during ON-medication states to evaluate changes in motor symptoms, non-motor symptoms, activities of daily living, and quality of life.
Results
Compared with placebo, the active treatment group showed clinically meaningful reductions in motor and non-motor symptom scores at the end of treatment. Active treatment also improved activities of daily living. Benefits were still evident five weeks after treatment stopped but had begun to diminish by the 24-week follow-up. No serious adverse events were linked to device use, and participants reported high satisfaction and good tolerability.
Conclusion
These findings provide evidence that repeated caloric vestibular stimulation can be a safe, tolerable adjuvant therapy that delivers enduring relief for motor and non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease.