A review of parameter settings for galvanic vestibular stimulation in clinical applications
Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) is a method of manipulating the vestibular system through non-invasive electrical current. Depending on how GVS is applied, it produces specific sensations related to vestibular mediated central pathways. The method has been tested for decades for both medical a...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1518727/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832542734081064960 |
|---|---|
| author | Yishai Valter Yishai Valter Linda Vataksi Aaron R. Allred Jeffrey R. Hebert Tad T. Brunyé Tad T. Brunyé Torin K. Clark Jorge Serrador Abhishek Datta Abhishek Datta |
| author_facet | Yishai Valter Yishai Valter Linda Vataksi Aaron R. Allred Jeffrey R. Hebert Tad T. Brunyé Tad T. Brunyé Torin K. Clark Jorge Serrador Abhishek Datta Abhishek Datta |
| author_sort | Yishai Valter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) is a method of manipulating the vestibular system through non-invasive electrical current. Depending on how GVS is applied, it produces specific sensations related to vestibular mediated central pathways. The method has been tested for decades for both medical and non-medical applications and has demonstrated promise in treating a variety of disorders including peripheral vestibular conditions, central vestibular pathology due to neurodegenerative diseases, and post-stroke motor rehabilitation. As GVS continues to grow in popularity and applications, the field lacks clarity on appropriate stimulation parameters, despite their importance for safe and efficacious neuromodulation. This study aims to review the parameters used in various treatment applications while also providing a concise overview of the mechanisms underlying GVS thereby offering essential context and justification for the chosen parameters. We performed a literature search on the PubMed and Embase databases for clinical trials including the term “galvanic vestibular stimulation.” After removing duplicates, secondary analyses, and studies that did not use GVS for therapeutic purposes, we were left with 53 independent studies. We extracted the stimulation parameters used in each study and report them here. The results of this review suggest that while some stimulation parameters are relatively standardized for specific treatment indications, others lack universally accepted guidelines as the field of GVS continues to evolve. Based on our findings, we recommend that future GVS research include at least one sham condition, the use of individualized current intensity, and the comparison of multiple GVS parameters within the same trial. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9cd197aeaf364b58abdced1dd43c4172 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1662-5161 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj-art-9cd197aeaf364b58abdced1dd43c41722025-02-03T17:00:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612025-02-011910.3389/fnhum.2025.15187271518727A review of parameter settings for galvanic vestibular stimulation in clinical applicationsYishai Valter0Yishai Valter1Linda Vataksi2Aaron R. Allred3Jeffrey R. Hebert4Tad T. Brunyé5Tad T. Brunyé6Torin K. Clark7Jorge Serrador8Abhishek Datta9Abhishek Datta10Research and Development Soterix Medical Inc., Woodbridge, NJ, United StatesDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York, New York City, NY, United StatesResearch and Development Soterix Medical Inc., Woodbridge, NJ, United StatesU. S. Army DEVCOM Soldier Center, Natick, MA, United StatesMarcus Institute for the Brain Health, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United StatesDepartment of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United StatesCenter for Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Tufts University, Medford, MA, United StatesU. S. Army DEVCOM Soldier Center, Natick, MA, United StatesMARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaResearch and Development Soterix Medical Inc., Woodbridge, NJ, United StatesDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York, New York City, NY, United StatesGalvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) is a method of manipulating the vestibular system through non-invasive electrical current. Depending on how GVS is applied, it produces specific sensations related to vestibular mediated central pathways. The method has been tested for decades for both medical and non-medical applications and has demonstrated promise in treating a variety of disorders including peripheral vestibular conditions, central vestibular pathology due to neurodegenerative diseases, and post-stroke motor rehabilitation. As GVS continues to grow in popularity and applications, the field lacks clarity on appropriate stimulation parameters, despite their importance for safe and efficacious neuromodulation. This study aims to review the parameters used in various treatment applications while also providing a concise overview of the mechanisms underlying GVS thereby offering essential context and justification for the chosen parameters. We performed a literature search on the PubMed and Embase databases for clinical trials including the term “galvanic vestibular stimulation.” After removing duplicates, secondary analyses, and studies that did not use GVS for therapeutic purposes, we were left with 53 independent studies. We extracted the stimulation parameters used in each study and report them here. The results of this review suggest that while some stimulation parameters are relatively standardized for specific treatment indications, others lack universally accepted guidelines as the field of GVS continues to evolve. Based on our findings, we recommend that future GVS research include at least one sham condition, the use of individualized current intensity, and the comparison of multiple GVS parameters within the same trial.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1518727/fullGVSgalvanic vestibular stimulationvestibular systembalance disorderparameters optimizationpost-stroke |
| spellingShingle | Yishai Valter Yishai Valter Linda Vataksi Aaron R. Allred Jeffrey R. Hebert Tad T. Brunyé Tad T. Brunyé Torin K. Clark Jorge Serrador Abhishek Datta Abhishek Datta A review of parameter settings for galvanic vestibular stimulation in clinical applications Frontiers in Human Neuroscience GVS galvanic vestibular stimulation vestibular system balance disorder parameters optimization post-stroke |
| title | A review of parameter settings for galvanic vestibular stimulation in clinical applications |
| title_full | A review of parameter settings for galvanic vestibular stimulation in clinical applications |
| title_fullStr | A review of parameter settings for galvanic vestibular stimulation in clinical applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | A review of parameter settings for galvanic vestibular stimulation in clinical applications |
| title_short | A review of parameter settings for galvanic vestibular stimulation in clinical applications |
| title_sort | review of parameter settings for galvanic vestibular stimulation in clinical applications |
| topic | GVS galvanic vestibular stimulation vestibular system balance disorder parameters optimization post-stroke |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1518727/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yishaivalter areviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT yishaivalter areviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT lindavataksi areviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT aaronrallred areviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT jeffreyrhebert areviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT tadtbrunye areviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT tadtbrunye areviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT torinkclark areviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT jorgeserrador areviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT abhishekdatta areviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT abhishekdatta areviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT yishaivalter reviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT yishaivalter reviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT lindavataksi reviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT aaronrallred reviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT jeffreyrhebert reviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT tadtbrunye reviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT tadtbrunye reviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT torinkclark reviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT jorgeserrador reviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT abhishekdatta reviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications AT abhishekdatta reviewofparametersettingsforgalvanicvestibularstimulationinclinicalapplications |