Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40650353›Full record

Trial reportDialogues in clinical neuroscience2025

Efficacy of electrical vestibular stimulation (VeNS) on adults with insomnia: A double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial.

Teris Cheung, Joyce Yuen Ting Lam, Kwan Hin Fong, Calvin Pak-Wing Cheng, Yu-Tao Xiang, Tim Man Ho Li

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04452981 (A Randomized, Double Blind Sham Controlled Clinical Trial to Evaluate The Efficacy of Vestibular Nerve Stimulation), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT04452981 nacompletednot on this map

A Randomized, Double Blind Sham Controlled Clinical Trial to Evaluate The Efficacy of Vestibular Nerve Stimulation (VeNS), Compared to a Sham Control For Treatment Of Insomnia.

TypeinterventionalSponsorNeurovalens Ltd.Ran2022 to 2023Enrolled153ConditionsInsomnia, Sleep DisturbanceArmsVeNS
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Teris CheungSchool of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0002-5878-9193
Joyce Yuen Ting LamSchool of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0001-6445-6240
Kwan Hin FongSchool of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0002-3674-7080
Calvin Pak-Wing ChengDepartment of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0003-4457-1908
Yu-Tao XiangDepartment of Public Health and Medicinal Administration, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0002-2906-0029
Tim Man Ho LiDepartment of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0002-6328-0105

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionInsomnia, a widespread sleep disorder, affects a significant portion of the global population. This study is the first in Asia to evaluate the efficacy of electrical vestibular stimulation (VeNS) as a treatment for insomnia in Hong Kong adults, addressing a gap in non-pharmacological interventions.

methodsA double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial was conducted with 101 adults exhibiting insomnia symptoms. Participants were randomized into active VeNS or sham groups (1:1 ratio) and underwent twenty 30-minute VeNS sessions over four weeks. Psychological outcomes, including insomnia severity, sleep quality, and quality of life were assessed at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2). Follow-up assessments were conducted at one- (T3) and three-month (T4) to evaluate the sustainability of VeNS effects.

resultsOf 83 participants (40 VeNS and 43 sham-VeNS), the VeNS group showed significant reductions in insomnia severity at T2 (p = 0.03, d = -0.47) and T4 (p = 0.02, d = -0.32), alongside improved quality of life (i.e., role-physical) at T2.

conclusionVeNS is a novel, non-invasive and safe neuromodulation device that may serve as an adjunct treatment for primary insomnia. The present findings provide a foundation for future multisite comparison studies to further evaluate VeNS efficacy.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04452981.

Indexed as

Electric Stimulation TherapySleep Initiation and Maintenance DisordersVestibule, LabyrinthAdultDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHong KongHumansMaleMiddle AgedQuality of LifeTreatment Outcomebrain stimulationefficacyinsomniarandomised clinical trialVestibular stimulation

Identifiers

PMID40650353
PMCPMC12258234

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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.