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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 Feb;39(2):424-428.
doi: 10.1002/mds.29690. Epub 2023 Dec 18.

Left Vagus Stimulation Modulates Contralateral Subthalamic β Power Improving the Gait in Parkinson's Disease

Massimo Marano  1   2 , Gaia Anzini  1   2 , Luca Saltarocchi  1 , Riccardo Ricciuti  3 , Fioravante Capone  1   2 , Huiling Tan  4 , Flavie Torrecillos  4 , Jacopo Lanzone  5 , Vincenzo Di Lazzaro  1   2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Left Vagus Stimulation Modulates Contralateral Subthalamic β Power Improving the Gait in Parkinson's Disease

Massimo Marano et al. Mov Disord. 2024 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) showed early evidence of efficacy for the gait treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD).

Objectives: Providing data on neurophysiological and clinical effects of transauricular VNS (taVNS).

Methods: Ten patients with recording deep brain stimulation (DBS) have been enrolled in a within participant design pilot study, double-blind crossover sham-controlled trial of taVNS. Subthalamic local field potentials (β band power), Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scales (UPDRS), and a digital timed-up-and-go test (TUG) were measured and compared with real versus sham taVNS during medication-off/DBS-OFF condition.

Results: The left taVNS induced a reduction of the total β power in the contralateral (ie, right) subthalamic nucleus and an improvement of TUG time, speed, and variability. The taVNS-induced β reduction correlated with the improvement of gait speed. No major clinical changes were observed at UPDRS.

Conclusions: taVNS is a promising strategy for the management of PD gait, deserving prospective trials of chronic neuromodulation. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Keywords: deep brain stimulation (DBS); freezing of gait; non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (VNS); transauricular vagus stimulation; β band.

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Conflict of interest statement

Relevant conflicts of interest/financial disclosures: The authors deny any financial disclosures or conflicts of interest concerning the research related to the manuscript.

Figures

FIG. 1
FIG. 1
(A) Study design. The PSD of a patient is reported across time points and conditions. (B) Comparison between left (red) and right (blue) sub-thalamic nucleus β power. (C) Relationship between β power and speed ratio. [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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