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Shocking the inner ear: a new hope for Parkinson's balance problems?

NCT ID NCT05446194

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Michigan Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study looked at whether inner ear problems cause balance issues in Parkinson's disease and if a headset that stimulates the inner ear can help. 72 people with Parkinson's took part. They received a 20-minute stimulation session while researchers measured freezing of gait and balance. The goal is to find a new way to ease these symptoms without medication.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
non-invasive neuromodulation device (headset delivering electrical stimulation to the inner ear)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a new, non-drug way to improve balance and reduce freezing of gait in people with Parkinson's disease.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study (72 people) testing different stimulation patterns. The device may not improve symptoms, and results may not apply to all Parkinson's patients.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

72 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Oct 2021

Finished

Jul 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

45 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1\. Parkinson disease duration of 5 years or more or Hoehn \& Yahr stage 1.5-4 Exclusion Criteria: 1. History of Meniere disease or recent onset of acute vestibular dysfunction, such as otolith disorders (BBPV etc). 2. Other disorders which may resemble PD, such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), vascular dementia, normal pressure hydrocephalus, multiple system atrophy (MSA), corticobasal ganglionic degeneration, or toxic causes of parkinsonism. Prototypical cases have distinctive clinical profiles, like early and severe dysautonomia (MSA) or appendicular apraxia, which may differentiate them from idiopathic PD and PSP. The use of the UKPDSBRC clinical diagnostic criteria for PD will mitigate the inclusion of subjects with atypical parkinsonism. 3. Evidence of a stroke or mass lesion on structural brain imaging (MRI). 4. Participants in whom MRI is contraindicated including, but not limited to, those with a pacemaker, presence of metallic fragments near the eyes or spinal cord, or cochlear implant. 5. Severe claustrophobia precluding MR or PET imaging. 6. Subjects limited by participation in research procedures involving ionizing radiation. 7. Pregnancy (test within 48 hours of each PET session) or breastfeeding. 8. Subjects with active and unstable mood or anxiety disorders 9. Subjects with active ear infections or perforated eardrums

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Parkinson disease

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Parkinson disease

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Michigan

    Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48106, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.