Can Postural Instability Respond to Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation in Patients with Parkinson's Disease?.
- Author:
Hiroshi KATAOKA
1
;
Yohei OKADA
;
Takao KIRIYAMA
;
Yorihiro KITA
;
Junji NAKAMURA
;
Shu MORIOKA
;
Koji SHOMOTO
;
Satoshi UENO
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Parkinson; Galvanic vestibular stimulation; Vestibular stimulation; Postural instability; Vestibular dysfunction; Posture
- MeSH: Gait; Humans; Parkinson Disease*; Posture; Supine Position
- From:Journal of Movement Disorders 2016;9(1):40-43
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) activates the vestibular afferents, and these changes in vestibular input exert a strong influence on the subject's posture or standing balance. In patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), vestibular dysfunction might contribute to postural instability and gait disorders. METHODS: Current intensity was increased to 0.7 mA, and the current was applied to the patients for 20 minutes. To perform a sham stimulation, the current intensity was increased as described and then decreased to 0 mA over the course of 10 seconds. The patient's status was recorded continuously for 20 minutes with the patient in the supine position. RESULTS: Three out of 5 patients diagnosed with PD with postural instability and/or abnormal axial posture showed a reduction in postural instability after GVS. The score for item 12 of the revised Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part 3 was decreased in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: The mechanism of postural instability is complex and not completely understood. In 2 out of the 5 patients, postural instability was not changed in response to GVS. Nonetheless, the GVS-induced change in postural instability for 3 patients in our study suggests that GVS might be a therapeutic option for postural instability.
