---
title: Home ear stimulation improves balance
nct_id: NCT07536022
phase: NA
status: RECRUITING
sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT07536022"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07536022"
last_fetched: "2026-06-16T14:00:28.223Z"
source: "Parkinson's Pathways (curated)"
---
# Home ear stimulation improves balance

**Goal (in five words):** Home ear stimulation improves balance

**Official Title:** Developing At-home taVNS for Neurorehabilitation in Parkinson's Disease

**Trial ID:** [NCT07536022](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07536022)

## Key Facts

- **Phase:** NA
- **Status:** RECRUITING
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Sponsor:** Medical University of South Carolina
- **Target Enrollment:** 16 participants
- **Start Date:** 2026-06-01
- **Completion Date:** 2027-06
- **Conditions:** Parkinson's Disease
- **Interventions:** transcutaneous auricular nerve stimulation
- **Intervention Types:** DEVICE

## Summary For Families

Researchers are testing whether at-home ear-based nerve stimulation, called transcutaneous auricular nerve stimulation or taVNS, can help treat Parkinson's symptoms, especially problems with walking, balance, and gait, and whether people can use the device safely and reliably at home. Participants will be trained to use a small earpiece that delivers stimulation, have an initial supervised session and brain scan, then do one-hour daily at-home sessions for eight weeks while researchers track completion rates, side effects, how people rate the sessions, changes on symptom and cognitive questionnaires, and changes in brain network connections on repeat brain scans. The study is enrolling people ages 40 to 85 with a diagnosis of Parkinson's who have walking or balance problems and are in disease stages 2 to 4, who are on stable Parkinson's medications and can undergo MRI and perform at-home procedures; people with seizures, recent brain surgery or stroke, significant cognitive impairment, certain heart problems, ear issues that prevent an earpiece fit, or MRI-incompatible implants are not eligible.

## What This Actually Involves

**Placebo** _(From the protocol)_: Everyone in this trial receives the experimental treatment. There is no placebo group.

**Visits** _(From the protocol)_: One in-person taVNS session followed by 8 weeks of at-home taVNS sessions.
  > "one in-person taVNS session followed by 8 weeks of at-home taVNS sessions"

**Procedures** _(From the protocol)_:
- Questionnaires & surveys (Non-invasive)
  > "How do participants' scores on assessments and questionnaires change with taVNS treatments?"
- MRI scan (Non-invasive)
  > "* Have a baseline MRI scan to take images of their brain."

**Washout** _(Ask the coordinator)_: Ask the coordinator whether you would need to stop or pause any of your current medications before or during the study (a washout period), and for how long.

**Travel & reimbursement** _(Ask the coordinator)_: Ask the coordinator whether travel, parking, or your time is reimbursed or compensated, and what is covered.

_Fields marked “From the protocol” come from the trial's registry record or quoted protocol text. Fields marked “Ask the coordinator” are not reliably available and should be confirmed directly._

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 40 Years
- **Maximum age:** 85 Years
- **Sex:** ALL

### Full Criteria

```
Inclusion Criteria:

* Issues with walking, balance, and gait as determined by a movement disorders neurologist (a score of equal to or greater than 1 on MDS-UPDRS items 2.12 (walking and balance), and 3.10 (gait))
* Diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's Disease based on UK Brain Bank diagnostic criteria
* Hoehn and Yahr Stage 2-4 as determined by a movement disorders neurologist
* Stable on dopaminergic medications over the past 30 days prior to enrollment in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

* A history of taVNS in the last 6 months
* A history of brain surgery, traumatic brain injury or stroke
* Diagnosis of a nervous system disorder besides PD, alcohol or substance use disorder, or unstable cardiovascular conditions
* History of myocardial infarction or arrhythmia, bradycardia
* A history of other significant gait impairment unrelated to PD (e.g. orthopedic deformities)
* Inability to complete gait/ motor assessments (without assistance or assistance devices)
* Ear trauma, facial pain, anatomical abnormalities or other barriers preventing earpiece fit
* Failure to meet all criteria on a standardized MRI/taVNS safety screening: This includes, but is not limited to, the presence of claustrophobia, implanted electronic devices that are not 3T MRI compatible (e.g., pacemakers), metallic objects or fragments (e.g., bullets), and non-removable hair clips or piercings.
* Individuals with a diagnosis of cognitive impairment (MoCA \< 24) that would make them unable to understand and follow study instructions or to consent for themselves.
* Pregnancy
* Visual hallucinations or other psychotic symptoms, other than mild visual hallucinations secondary to PD medications, not requiring treatment, or well controlled on stable doses of quetiapine or pimavenserin.
* Individuals with a history of seizure(s)
* Inability to perform at-home taVNS procedures safely and properly (either alone or with the aid of a caregiver)
* Uncorrected visual or hearing impairments that would impact performance on cognitive tests or ability to follow study procedures
* Use of B-Blockers, dopamine blocking agent (other than quetiapine or pimavenserin in stable doses), antiarrhythmic medication, acetylcholine esterase inhibitor (study doctor will consider if on stable doses), midodrine, fludrocortisone, droxidopa, or anticholinergic drugs
```

## Locations (1)

- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States _(32.7763, -79.9327)_
  - Daniel Lench, PhD, (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

## Central Contacts

- Daniel Lench, PhD, (CONTACT), +843-792-9115, lenchd@musc.edu
- Emily Laramie, HBSc, (CONTACT), +843-792-3873, laramie@musc.edu

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT07536022*  
*HTML version: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT07536022*  
*Source data: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07536022*