Clinical Trial: Effect of Transcutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation on Reducing Visually Induced Motion Sickness in Healthy Volunteers

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Effect of Transcutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation on Reducing Visually Induced Motion Sickness in Healthy Volunteers

Brief Summary: Nausea is a common and distressing experience that often precedes vomiting. Amongst symptoms emanating from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract nausea can be considered somewhat unique, as on one hand it represents a normal, highly conserved, physiological response to an ingested toxin yet on the other it may indicate pathology. Nausea may also arise as a consequence of pharmaco- and chemotherapeutic interventions. Nausea negatively impacts on quality of life, adherence to treatment and is a cause for discontinuation of the development of novel compounds. Experimentally, nausea can be induced in humans using a visually induced motion stimulus. Previously we have developed a 10-minute motion video of the landscape rotating as seen from the perspective of a subject standing on Westminster Bridge, London. The tilted and rotating view visual display makes the subject perceive that they are spinning round and round on a spot tilted away from centre of gravity due to circular vection. This motion video induced nausea in approximately 50% of healthy participants and caused a reduction in cardiac vagal tone, a validated measure of the parasympathetic nervous system branch on the autonomic nervous system. We therefore are evaluating the role of external transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation in visually induced motion sickness.

Detailed Summary:
Sponsor: Wingate Institute of Neurogastroenterology

Current Primary Outcome: Reduction of the subjective sensation of nausea on a visual analogue scale [ Time Frame: 10 minutes ]

Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome:

  • Effect of transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation on cardiac vagal tone [ Time Frame: 10 minutes ]
  • Tolerability of transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation [ Time Frame: 10 minutes ]


Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: Wingate Institute of Neurogastroenterology

Dates:
Date Received: June 24, 2014
Date Started: November 2014
Date Completion:
Last Updated: November 30, 2015
Last Verified: November 2015