Individualising Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation Further Improves Visuomotor Performance in Parkinson’s Disease
Impaired motor function is a defining characteristic of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) has been proposed as a potential non-invasive intervention to enhance motor performance; however, its efficacy depends on both stimulation parameters and electrode configuration. I...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/12/5/523 |
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| author | Anjali Menon Madhini Vigneswaran Tina Zhang Varsha Sreenivasan Christina Kim Martin J. McKeown |
| author_facet | Anjali Menon Madhini Vigneswaran Tina Zhang Varsha Sreenivasan Christina Kim Martin J. McKeown |
| author_sort | Anjali Menon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Impaired motor function is a defining characteristic of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) has been proposed as a potential non-invasive intervention to enhance motor performance; however, its efficacy depends on both stimulation parameters and electrode configuration. In this study, we examined the effects of two-pole and three-pole GVS configurations, utilising different stimulation parameters, on motor performance in individuals with PD. Twelve participants with PD were administered eight distinct subthreshold amplitude-modulated GVS stimuli, along with sham stimulation, while performing a visuomotor target tracking task. Analysis of tracking error demonstrated substantial inter-individual variability in response to different stimuli and electrode configurations. While the three-pole configuration yielded superior motor performance in some cases, the two-pole configuration was more effective in others. The most effective overall stimulus across all subjects, characterised by an envelope frequency of 30 Hz and a carrier frequency of 110 Hz, improved motor performance by 25% relative to the sham stimulus. Moreover, tailoring the stimulation parameters to the individual further enhanced performance by an additional 24%. These findings suggest that GVS can yield significant motor improvements in individuals with PD. Furthermore, individualised optimisation of stimulation parameters, including the selection of the appropriate electrode configuration, may further enhance therapeutic efficacy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-372facf25bca4b8785f2ac599dfbd42e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2306-5354 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Bioengineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-372facf25bca4b8785f2ac599dfbd42e2025-08-20T01:56:25ZengMDPI AGBioengineering2306-53542025-05-0112552310.3390/bioengineering12050523Individualising Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation Further Improves Visuomotor Performance in Parkinson’s DiseaseAnjali Menon0Madhini Vigneswaran1Tina Zhang2Varsha Sreenivasan3Christina Kim4Martin J. McKeown5Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, CanadaPacific Parkinson’s Research Centre, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, CanadaPacific Parkinson’s Research Centre, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, CanadaPacific Parkinson’s Research Centre, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, CanadaPacific Parkinson’s Research Centre, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, CanadaPacific Parkinson’s Research Centre, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, CanadaImpaired motor function is a defining characteristic of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) has been proposed as a potential non-invasive intervention to enhance motor performance; however, its efficacy depends on both stimulation parameters and electrode configuration. In this study, we examined the effects of two-pole and three-pole GVS configurations, utilising different stimulation parameters, on motor performance in individuals with PD. Twelve participants with PD were administered eight distinct subthreshold amplitude-modulated GVS stimuli, along with sham stimulation, while performing a visuomotor target tracking task. Analysis of tracking error demonstrated substantial inter-individual variability in response to different stimuli and electrode configurations. While the three-pole configuration yielded superior motor performance in some cases, the two-pole configuration was more effective in others. The most effective overall stimulus across all subjects, characterised by an envelope frequency of 30 Hz and a carrier frequency of 110 Hz, improved motor performance by 25% relative to the sham stimulus. Moreover, tailoring the stimulation parameters to the individual further enhanced performance by an additional 24%. These findings suggest that GVS can yield significant motor improvements in individuals with PD. Furthermore, individualised optimisation of stimulation parameters, including the selection of the appropriate electrode configuration, may further enhance therapeutic efficacy.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/12/5/523galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS)individualised stimuliParkinson’s diseasetwo-pole/three-pole configuration |
| spellingShingle | Anjali Menon Madhini Vigneswaran Tina Zhang Varsha Sreenivasan Christina Kim Martin J. McKeown Individualising Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation Further Improves Visuomotor Performance in Parkinson’s Disease Bioengineering galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) individualised stimuli Parkinson’s disease two-pole/three-pole configuration |
| title | Individualising Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation Further Improves Visuomotor Performance in Parkinson’s Disease |
| title_full | Individualising Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation Further Improves Visuomotor Performance in Parkinson’s Disease |
| title_fullStr | Individualising Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation Further Improves Visuomotor Performance in Parkinson’s Disease |
| title_full_unstemmed | Individualising Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation Further Improves Visuomotor Performance in Parkinson’s Disease |
| title_short | Individualising Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation Further Improves Visuomotor Performance in Parkinson’s Disease |
| title_sort | individualising galvanic vestibular stimulation further improves visuomotor performance in parkinson s disease |
| topic | galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) individualised stimuli Parkinson’s disease two-pole/three-pole configuration |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/12/5/523 |
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