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| Name | Class |
|---|---|
| Ulster University | UNKNOWN |
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Anxiety is known to be one of the most common health concerns in in the general population, and the most common mental health issue, and has been associated with several health consequences. Medications are known to be effective, and currently serve as the primary treatment for anxiety but comes with a risk of adverse effects. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-1) has also been shown to be effective and safer in the treatment of anxiety but presents its own limitations such as the time, cost, and training required. The relationship between vestibular stimulation and anxiety continues to be explored, however its usefulness in the treatment of anxiety is still unknown. Vestibular stimulation itself has been shown to be safe across multiple populations. If vestibular stimulation is shown to be effective in the treatment of anxiety, it could serve as a safer alternative to medications. It could also require less cost, time, and training than CBT-1, providing a treatment option that is not only safe and effective, but broadly available to the general population. It also could present an alternative intervention for patients who are non-responsive or refuse medication. Consequently this trial seeks to evaluate the efficacy of non-invasive electrical vestibular nerve stimulation as a method of improving sleep quality and quantity, as compared to a sham control, in patients newly diagnosed with anxiety.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active VeNS | Active Comparator | The active device utilizes a technology termed vestibular nerve stimulation (VeNS). The device will be placed on the head in a manner analogous to headphones and will deliver a small electrical current to the skin behind the ears, over the mastoid processes. Participants will be advised to use the device at home for 30 minutes per day. |
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| Sham VeNS | Sham Comparator | The sham device looks identical to the active device and interacts with the app in a similar manner to the active device. It will apply some stimulation to a user for a limited period of time (30 seconds), before tapering down to zero over a further 20 seconds, thus creating the impression of an active device. The device will be placed on the head in a manner analogous to headphones with hydrogel electrodes placed over the mastoid processes. Participants will be advised to use the device at home for 30 minutes per day. |
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| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VeNS | Device | The VeNS device utilizes a technology called galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) (sometimes termed vestibular nerve stimulation (VeNS)). The device will be placed on the head in a manner analogous to headphones and will deliver a small electrical current to the skin behind the ears, over the mastoid processes. Participants will be advised to use the device at home for 30 minutes per day. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) Scores | To evaluate the effect of the VeNS device, relative to control group on participants with anxiety (range 0-21) with higher score indicating more severe anxiety. | 4 weeks |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Number of adverse events | To evaluate the safety of the VeNS device relative to control group, in terms of the occurrence of adverse events. | 4 weeks |
| Quality of life using SF-36 scores | To evaluate the effect of the VeNS device, relative to control group, on quality of life. SF-36 is a 36-item short form survey (range 0-100) with higher scores indicating a better quality of life. |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Julie Sittlington, PhD | Ulster University | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulster University | Coleraine | United Kingdom |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41642155 | Derived | Curry G, Zhang SD, McAnena L, Price RK, Sittlington JJ. Repeated Electrical Vestibular Nerve Stimulation Reduces Anxiety in People With Moderate-to-Severe Anxiety: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial: The Modius Anxiety Study. Neuromodulation. 2026 Jun;29(4):626-636. doi: 10.1016/j.neurom.2025.11.008. Epub 2026 Feb 5. |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D001008 | Anxiety Disorders |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D001523 | Mental Disorders |
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| 4 weeks |
| Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score | To evaluate the effect of the VeNS device, relative to control group on participants with insomnia. ISI is a self-report rating scale assessing the severity of insomnia symptoms (range 0-28) with higher scores indicating a more severe insomnia. | 4 weeks |