Peripheral and central vestibular neuromodulation improve postural control in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a randomized, sham-controlled, multi-arm intervention study.
Huaqing Chen, Liping Zhao, Yuelong Li and 11 others
PMID 42381087WHAT IT FOUND
In adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis, 20 minutes of noisy vestibular stimulation over the mastoid processes, scalp stimulation over the right parietal cortex, or both reduced immediate sway on a hard balance task.
The combined approach gave the largest short-term sway reduction.
Key findings
01After the 20-minute stimulation, nGVS, tDCS, and nGVS+tDCS each significantly reduced the primary sway path length, while sham did not.
02The combined nGVS+tDCS group had the greatest reduction in primary sway path length, significantly greater than sham, nGVS alone, and tDCS alone.
03nGVS reduced gastrocnemius activation, tDCS increased right inferior parietal activation, and combined stimulation affected both.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was exploratory and had only 10 participants per group; the sample size was chosen for feasibility, so smaller effects may have been missed. Outcomes were measured immediately after a 20-minute session, so it is unknown whether balance benefits last, accumulate, or translate into daily function. The balance task was eyes closed standing on foam over a force plate, which stresses vestibular-dependent control but may not represent walking, school, or sport demands. Blinding integrity and side effects were not assessed with structured questionnaires, so expectancy and subtle sensations cannot be ruled out. The comparison was sham stimulation, not usual scoliosis treatment, and the formal test of extra benefit from combining nGVS and tDCS was not significant.
Declared interests
Funding was reported from the Guangdong-Hong Kong Technology and Innovation Cooperation Funding, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, and the Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Rehabilitation Medicine. The supplied text does not include an author conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this proves a clinic-ready balance treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The trial tested immediate effects after a 20-minute stimulation session in 10 adolescents per group during an eyes-closed foam task, and the formal test for extra benefit from combining nGVS and tDCS was not significant, so the larger combined effect is not established as true synergy.