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Enrolling by Invitation

NCT Number: NCT07267910

Measuring Vestibular Organ Function With Weak Alternating Current Stimulation

The goal of this clinical trial is to preliminarily evaluate the use of electrical stimulation in diagnosing disorders with the vestibular system. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Can electrical vestibular stimulation combined with movement measurement be used to diagnose disorders of the vestibular system? * Can electrical stimulation provide treatment or rehabilitation opportunities for patients suffering from disorders of the vestibular system?

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Key information

Conditions

Vestibular Disorder Cranial Nerve Diseases Cranial Nerve Neoplasms Ear Diseases Labyrinth Diseases Neoplasms Neoplasms by Histologic Type Neoplasms by Site Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue Nerve Sheath Neoplasms Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Neoplasms Neurilemmoma Neuroectodermal Tumors Neuroendocrine Tumors Neuroma Neuroma, Acoustic Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms Retrocochlear Diseases Vestibular Diseases Vestibular Neuritis Vestibular Neuronitis Vestibular Schwannoma Vestibulocochlear Nerve Diseases

Age range

18 year–70 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Dept. of Otorhinolaryngology, HUS Helsinki University Hospital

Helsinki, 00130, Finland

About this study

The participants will each attend one experimental session consisting of multiple short (1-3 min) measurement trials. During a trial the participant's vestibular system is stimulated with a transcranial electrical stimulator device and their movements are recorded with a force plate and acceleration sensors.

The goal of the study is to collect and analyse data from 30 research participants with diagnosed vestibular disorders.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Signed informed consent form
  • One of the following: clinically diagnosed vestibular schwannoma, vestibular neuritis, or simultaneous unilateral hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction.

Exclusion criteria

  • History of epilepsy or seizures
  • Past brain surgery
  • Pacemaker, cochlear implant, or other implanted medical device
  • Pregnancy
  • Skin problems or damaged skin at the site of the stimulation (scalp and neck)

Treatment and study plan

Active transcranial electrical vestibular stimulation (Active EVS)

Device

Active transcranial electrical vestibular stimulation (EVS) with alternating current (maximum peak current below 2 mA and stimulation frequency 2-20 Hz) applied for 1-3 minutes at a time and for under 20 minutes in total. EVS will be applied either bilaterally (ear to ear) or unilaterally (left ear to neck or right ear to neck). The participants movements during the stimulation are measured with a force plate and wearable acceleration sensors. The study uses multiple types of vestibular stimulation waveforms which are applied in a randomized sequence, such that neither the participant nor the investigator know the exact stimulation type at the time of the measurement.

Sham transcranial electrical vestibular stimulation (Sham EVS)

Device

Sham (no current) transcranial electrical vestibular stimulation applied for 1-3 minutes. The participant's movements during the supposed stimulation are measured with a force plate and wearable acceleration sensors. Neither the participant nor the investigator know at what point of the intervention sequence the sham stimulation is applied.

Control measurement

Device

The participant's movements are measured with a force plate and wearable acceleration sensors for the same time duration (1-3 min) and following the same protocols as in other interventions, but both the participant and the investigator know that no stimulation is being applied. The control measurement will always be completed before all other interventions and is not part of the randomized intervention sequence.

Primary outcomes

  1. Changes in the frequency content of the movement response signals

    Time frame: From study appointment to the analysis of the results (up to 12 months)

    Changes of the power in a frequency band of 0-20 Hz in the measured movement response signals during active electrical vestibular stimulation (EVS). The measured movement response signals are force plate Center of Pressure (CoP) and 3-axis acceleration data from wearable acceleration sensors.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Latency of the EVS response

    Time frame: From study appointment to the analysis of the results (up to 12 months)

    Latency of the EVS-induced movement response measured as the time delay between the stimulation and the measured movement.

  2. Highest frequency of the EVS-induced response

    Time frame: From study appointment to the analysis of the results (up to 12 months)

    Highest frequency at which EVS induces a response determined via spectral analysis of the movement data

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Aalto University

Other

Collaborators

  • Business Finland
  • Helsinki University Central Hospital

Registry information

Official study title

Measuring Vestibular Organ Function With Weak Alternating-current Stimulation

Acronym: VESTI

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Dec 5, 2025
Registry last updated
Jul 1, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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