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Subthreshold Vestibular Stimulation as a Strategy for Rehabilitation

Creighton University · with National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) · NCT06732440

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Opens the official ClinicalTrials.gov record, with the study team’s contacts. Bored Studies doesn’t enroll anyone.

Key facts

Compensation
Not posted. Ask the study team before screening.
Who can join
Ages 19–89 · All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Study type
Interventional · Not applicable
Target enrollment
48
US sites recruiting
1
Study start
February 9, 2026
Record last updated
March 17, 2026

Status re-checked against ClinicalTrials.gov within the last 12 hours.

What the study is about

The nervous system responds to changes in external or internal conditions by altering the behavior of neurons through multiple forms of neural plasticity. A specific form of plasticity, "homeostatic plasticity", stabilizes neural activity by driving the excitability of neurons toward a "set-point" level of activity. Over the last six years, new data have come to light showing that the vestibular system also possess a robust capacity to modulate sensitivity to self-motion cues in response to prolonged periods of motion. Collectively, these studies have demonstrated a capacity to use motion perturbations (i.e., low, or high levels of vestibular stimulation) to dynamically adjust the sensitivity of the vestibular system on both the single neuron and behavioral levels. The ability to use subthreshold motion stimuli to drive plasticity in the vestibular system motivates this study. The investigators aim to determine the impact of subthreshold motion on (a) balance performance and (b) balance training in individuals with peripheral vestibular hypofunction.

Being studied: Subthreshold Vestibular Conditioning; Balance Training; Balance Training Plus Subthreshold Conditioning

Conditions: Vestibular Hypofunction; Bilateral Vestibular Hypofunction; Presbyvestibulopathy; Healthy Controls

Eligibility criteria

Copied from the official record. The study team makes the final decision at screening.

Show full criteria

Inclusion Criteria for Bilateral Vestibular Hypofunction:

  • Bilateral lateral canal VOR gain of \< 0.8 on video head impulse testing OR bilateral positive bedside head impulse test

Inclusion Criteria for Unilateral Vestibular Hypofunction:

  • Unilateral yaw aVOR gain of \< 0.8 on video head impulse testing OR unilateral positive bedside head impulse test

Inclusion Criteria for all Participants

  • Must be able to stand for 5 minutes unassisted
  • No leg or foot amputations
  • No lower limb braces
  • Not currently pregnant by self-report
  • Weight \<= 300 pounds (due to limitations of testing equipment)

Exclusion Criteria for all participants

  • Severe head trauma or traumatic brain injury
  • History of seizures
  • Alternative neurologic illness or condition known to impact vestibular or balance function (e.g., stroke, neurodegenerative disorders, demyelinating illness)
  • Major psychiatric (e.g., panic disorder, psychosis, etc.) disorder
  • Any of the following eye diseases or conditions: amblyopia (or "lazy eye") or history of amblyopia, diagnosis of age- related macular degeneration, retina dystrophy, glaucoma, cataracts,
  • Recent (\<6 months) orthopedic injury that may affect test performance
  • Recent surgery (\< 6 months) that may impact test performance.
  • Other severe health problems (heart disease, pulmonary disease, cancer, etc.) that may affect test performance
  • Due to potentially nauseogenic nature of some motions and to protect fetus and mother, pregnant women will also be excluded from this study
  • Since the investigators cannot address every possible potential individual recruit in advance, additional exclusion criteria may be required.

Recruiting US locations

  • Creighton University

    Omaha, NE 68178

    Site contact: Andrew R Wagner, PhD · 402.280.5188 · andrewwagner@creighton.edu

Study contacts (from the official record)

  • Andrew R Wagner, PhD · 402.280.5188 · andrewwagner@creighton.edu
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Subthreshold Vestibular Stimulation as a Strategy for Rehabilitation (NCT06732440) | Bored Studies