Optimizing Noisy Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation Frequency Range for Enhancing Vestibular Perception and Manual Control Performance

July 22, 2026 updated by: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Assessments of Performance in Healthy Control Subjects

This randomized crossover interventional study evaluated the effects of different frequency ranges of noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation (nGVS) on vestibular perception, perceptual motion tracking, and manual control performance in healthy adults. Each participant completed three experimental conditions in randomized order: no stimulation (control), low-frequency nGVS, and high-frequency nGVS. Vestibular perceptual thresholds, perceptual tracking, and manual control performance were assessed during each condition to determine whether stimulation frequency influenced sensorimotor function.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the frequency content of noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation influences vestibular perceptual sensitivity, tracking accuracy, and manual control performance. Healthy adult participants completed a randomized crossover protocol in which they received no stimulation, low-frequency nGVS, and high-frequency nGVS during separate experimental conditions within a single study session. Outcome measures included vestibular perceptual thresholds, tracking error rate, and measures of manual control performance. The results were intended to improve understanding of vestibular neuromodulation and inform optimization of nGVS parameters for future aerospace and clinical applications.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
18

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Texas
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77058
        • Nasa Jsc B21

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Subjects were required to pass a physical exam adminisitrated by NASA JSC Clinic.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • No history of neurologic, vestibular, or autonomic disease.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: Control - No noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation
Participants completed testing without noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation.
Experimental: Low-frequency noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation
Participants received low-frequency noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation during testing. Low frequency was 0-2 Hz.
Device: Low-frequency noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation (nGVS)
Participants received low-frequency noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation through electrodes placed over the bilateral mastoid processes during experimental testing. Stimulation parameters were consistent with the approved study protocol. Frequency was 0-2Hz white noise, 300uA amplitude.
Experimental: High-frequency noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation
Participants received high-frequency noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation during testing. High-frequency was 10-30 Hz.
Device: High-frequency noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation (nGVS)
Participants received high-frequency noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation through electrodes placed over the bilateral mastoid processes during experimental testing. Stimulation parameters were consistent with the approved study protocol. Frequency was 10-30Hz white noise, 300uA amplitude.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Vestibular Direction Recognition Threshold
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Vestibular perceptual sensitivity was assessed using roll-tilt and interaural translation direction recognition tasks performed on a six-degree-of-freedom motion platform. Direction recognition thresholds were estimated from participant responses using an adaptive three-down, one-up staircase procedure and cumulative Gaussian psychometric curve fitting. Lower threshold values indicate greater vestibular sensitivity and improved perception of self-motion.
Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Perceptual Motion Tracking Accuracy
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Perceptual motion tracking performance was evaluated during continuous pseudorandom roll motion. Participants used a joystick to continuously indicate their perceived direction and magnitude of platform motion. Performance was quantified using the root mean square error (RMSE) between joystick responses and the programmed motion stimulus, with lower RMSE values indicating more accurate perception and tracking of self-motion.
Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Manual Control Nulling Accuracy
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Manual control performance was evaluated during continuous pseudorandom roll motion while participants used a joystick to actively minimize platform motion by generating corrective control inputs. Performance was quantified using the root mean square error (RMSE) between the platform tilt angle and the upright position over time. Lower RMSE values indicate more effective manual control and disturbance rejection.
Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Roll-Tilt Vestibular Direction Recognition Threshold
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Vestibular perceptual threshold for roll-tilt motion was measured using a computerized three-down, one-up adaptive staircase procedure during a 1 Hz sinusoidal motion stimulus. Thresholds were estimated by fitting a cumulative Gaussian psychometric function to participants' left/right direction recognition responses. Lower threshold values indicate greater vestibular sensitivity.
Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Interaural Translation Vestibular Direction Recognition Threshold
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Vestibular perceptual threshold for interaural translation motion was measured using a computerized three-down, one-up adaptive staircase procedure during a 1 Hz sinusoidal motion stimulus. Thresholds were estimated by fitting a cumulative Gaussian psychometric function to participants' left/right direction recognition responses. Lower threshold values indicate greater vestibular sensitivity.
Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Vestibular Direction Recognition Bias
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Response bias during the vestibular direction recognition task was estimated from the mean of the cumulative Gaussian psychometric function. Bias represents the stimulus magnitude at which participants were equally likely to perceive motion in either direction, providing a measure of systematic perceptual offset.
Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Perceptual Motion Tracking Variability
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Variability of perceptual motion tracking performance during continuous pseudorandom roll motion. Tracking variability was quantified using statistical measures including standard deviation and variance of tracking performance, providing an assessment of the consistency and precision of participant responses.
Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Manual Control Nulling Variability
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Variability of manual control performance during the nulling task was quantified using standard deviation, variance, and mean absolute deviation of chair tilt relative to the upright position. These measures assessed the consistency and precision of participants' ability to minimize platform motion.
Day 1 (single study visit): Participants completed outcome assessments during each randomized intervention condition (No nGVS, Low-Frequency nGVS, and High-Frequency nGVS). Each assessment required approximately 5 minutes to complete.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Scott J Wood, PhD, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 19, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 18, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 18, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 15, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 22, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 28, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 28, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 22, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • eIRB Study 0530

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

De-identified individual participant data underlying the results reported in the publication, including vestibular threshold measurements, perceptual motion tracking data, manual control performance data, and associated analysis code, will be made available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author. Additional study documents, including the study protocol, statistical analysis plan, and data dictionary, will also be available to support reproducibility. Data sharing will be subject to applicable institutional policies, IRB requirements, and any NASA data-sharing requirements in effect at the time of the request.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

For at least five years following publication.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Data can be requested through the NASA Life Sciences Portal (https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/nlsp/).

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ANALYTIC_CODE

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings