Living with
Parkinson's

Understanding the body’s second brain
Overview

Parkinson's Disease

Constipation is one of the most common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), and often times maintaining an active and positive lifestyle can be challenging. Inactivity, poor muscle coordination and posture associated with the disease weaken the muscles of the bowels and pelvic floor, affecting their ability to contract. This circle of dis-ease inevitable affects a person’s ability to manage their condition.
As much as 80% of people diagnosed with PD experience severe constipation*, associated with medications used to treat the disease. Multiple studies have shown that the frequency and severity of constipation increased as Parkinson’s disease progressed**.

* Verbaan, D. et al. Patient-reported autonomic symptoms in Parkinson disease. Neurology 69, 333–341, https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000266593.50534.e8 (2007).
** Scientific Reports, published January 12, 2018
Additional good resource: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5766597/
Understanding Brain and Gut Coherence

The Gut-Brain AXIS

This 'gut-brain' axis is engaged in constant crosstalk to monitor gut function in relation to emotional and cognitive processes in the brain; when the line of communication is strained by stress or anxiety, the result is an impact on intestinal permeability, enteric reflex and endocrine signaling. This imbalance can affect probiotic flora, and in the absence of microbial colonization, the nervous system and gut sensory function are altered, resulting in delayed bowel movements and reduced motoric movement in the intestine.
How Vibrant Can Help

How Vibrant Can Help

The Vibrant Treatment relies on a simple ingestion method to resolve a distressing condition, allowing patients to breathe easy and regain their freedom - without the risk of contraindications. Vibrant mimics the body’s natural rhythm to stimulate the GI tract, encouraging bowel movement by way of subtle mechanical stimulation.
Vibrant offers PD patients, in clinical trial phase, the opportunity to relieve constipation symptoms associated with PD, using a drug-free capsule and ultimately upgrading their quality of life.
How It Works

Clinical Data

Vibrant is currently conducting a phase II, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of its constipation treatment in relieving symptoms and increasing bowel movement for patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Two additional endpoints are also being evaluated in this trial: absorption efficiency of Levodopa Pharmacokinetics when used in conjunction with the vibrating capsule and the potential impact of the capsule’s stimulation on microbiome composition in the gut.

* Verbaan, D. et al. Patient-reported autonomic symptoms in Parkinson disease. Neurology 69, 333–341, https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000266593.50534.e8 (2007).
** Scientific Reports, published January 12, 2018 *** https://www.healthline.com/health/parkinsons/parkinsons-constipation Additional good resource: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5766597/