Trial reportJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2014
Non-invasive neuromodulation to improve gait in chronic multiple sclerosis: a randomized double blind controlled pilot trial.
Trial report in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 47 citations in OpenAlex.
- Outcome measures used in trials on gait rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis: A systematic literature review.PloS one · 2021Pooled it
- Effects of trigeminal neurostimulation on heart rate variability: comparing cutaneous (Tragus) and tongue (Antero-Dorsal mucosa) stimulation.BMC oral health · 2024Trial
- A Prospective, Multicenter Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Translingual Neurostimulation Plus Physical Therapy for the Treatment of a Chronic Balance Deficit Due to Mild-to-Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury.Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society · 2021Trial
- Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: New Therapeutic Approaches.Neuropsychopharmacology reports · 2025Review
- Macrophages as central mediators of sympathetic neuro-immune interplay in autoimmunity.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- Translingual neural stimulation induced changes in intra- and inter-network functional connectivity in mild-moderate traumatic brain injury patients.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2025Article
- Vibrotactile Feedback for a Person with Transradial Amputation and Visual Loss: A Case Report.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2023Article
- Examining the Interaction between Exercise, Gut Microbiota, and Neurodegeneration: Future Research Directions.Biomedicines · 2023Review
- Article
- Real world evidence of improved attention and cognition during physical therapy paired with neuromodulation: a brain vital signs study.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2023Article
- Design and Preliminary Evaluation of a Tongue-Operated Exoskeleton System for Upper Limb Rehabilitation.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Cranial Nerve Noninvasive Neuromodulation in Adults With Neurological Conditions: Protocol for a Scoping Review.JMIR research protocols · 2021Article
- Translingual Neurostimulation for the Treatment of Chronic Symptoms Due to Mild-to-Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translation · 2019Article
- Abnormal muscle activation patterns are associated with chronic gait deficits following traumatic brain injury.Gait & posture · 2018Article
- An Investigation of Feasibility and Safety of Bi-Modal Stimulation for the Treatment of Tinnitus: An Open-Label Pilot Study.Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society · 2016Article
- Managing Disability in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.Current treatment options in neurology · 2016Review
- Investigating a new neuromodulation treatment for brain disorders using synchronized activation of multimodal pathways.Scientific reports · 2015Article
- Effect of Comorbidities on Outcomes of Neurorehabilitation Interventions in Multiple Sclerosis: A Scoping Review.International journal of MS careArticle
- Auditory attention in individuals with tinnitus.Brazilian journal of otorhinolaryngologyArticle
- Noninvasive tongue stimulation combined with intensive cognitive and physical rehabilitation induces neuroplastic changes in patients with multiple sclerosis: A multimodal neuroimaging study.Multiple sclerosis journal - experimental, translational and clinicalArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThis study sought to examine the effect of targeted physical therapy with and without cranial nerve non-invasive neuromodulation (CN-NINM), on the walking ability of people with MS who exhibited a dysfunctional gait. We hypothesized that subjects who received electrical stimulation would have greater improvement than those who had a control device after a 14-week intervention. Gait disturbance is a common problem for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Current management may include exercise, pharmacology, functional electrical stimulation, compensatory strategies, use of assistive devices, and implanted electrical devices. We have developed an effective rehabilitative strategy using neuromodulation of the cranial nerves via electrical stimulation of the tongue to enhance the plasticity of the brain.
methodsThe study is a within-subject blinded randomized control design. Twenty chronic MS subjects with an identified gait disturbance were assigned to either an active or control group. Both groups completed a 14-week intervention program using a standardized combination of exercise and a device that provided electrical stimulation to the tongue. Those in the active group received electrical stimulation on the tongue that they could perceive. Those in the control group used a device that did not provide a physiologically significant stimulus and was not perceivable. Subjects were assessed with the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI).
resultsThe DGI scores improved for both groups. There were significant between-group differences, with the active group showing statistically greater improvement than the control group mean.
conclusionPeople with MS demonstrated improved gait with CN-NINM training in a pilot randomized controlled trial. This study suggests that tongue-based neurostimulation may amplify the benefits of exercise for improving gait in people with chronic MS.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.