Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40082596›Full record

Trial reportScientific reports2025

Non-invasive vestibular nerve stimulation (VeNS) reduces visceral adipose tissue: results of a randomised controlled trial.

Erik Viirre, Julie Sittlington, David Wing, Ruth Price, Caomhan Logue, Daniel Moreno, Jeff Ledford-Mills, Cynthia Knott, Carel W le Roux, David Grieve and 3 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

13 authors.

Erik ViirreDepartment of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, USA. eviirre@health.ucsd.edu.
Julie SittlingtonSchool of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, UK.
David WingExercise and Physical Activity Resource Center, University of California, San Diego, USA.
Ruth PriceSchool of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, UK.
Caomhan LogueSchool of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, UK.
Daniel MorenoExercise and Physical Activity Resource Center, University of California, San Diego, USA.
Jeff Ledford-MillsAltman Clinical and Translational Research Institute, University of California, San Diego, USA.
Cynthia KnottAltman Clinical and Translational Research Institute, University of California, San Diego, USA.
Carel W le RouxSchool of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
David GrieveSchool of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University, Belfast, UK.
Sinead WatsonNeurovalens Ltd, Belfast, UK.
Jason McKeownSchool of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University, Belfast, UK.
Paul D McGeochNeurovalens Ltd, Belfast, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Across multiple species, chronic vestibular stimulation activates hypothalamic regions involved in energy homeostasis and reduces body fat. This first-in-human randomised controlled trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of electrical vestibular nerve stimulation (VeNS) as a means of reducing excess body weight and fat. Overweight and obese adults were randomised 1:1 to receive 60 min of daily VeNS (n = 117) or sham stimulation (n = 124) for 6 months, together with a hypocaloric diet. The primary endpoints were weight loss based. Secondary endpoints included reduction in visceral adipose tissue (VAT). It is VAT, more than subcutaneous fat depots, which is particularly associated with the risks associated with obesity. The weight loss based primary endpoints were not met. However, mean change in VAT was significantly greater in the active (- 12.6%) versus the sham (- 4.7%) group (p = 0.03). This suggests that regular VeNS may cause a clinically meaningful reduction in VAT.

Indexed as

Electric Stimulation TherapyIntra-Abdominal FatObesityOverweightVestibular NerveAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedWeight LossGalvanic stimulationNeuromodulationObesityVestibularVestibular nerve stimulationVisceral adipose tissue

Identifiers

PMID40082596
PMCPMC11906803

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.