TY - JOUR
T1 - The vestibular implant
T2 - Frequency-dependency of the electrically evoked vestibulo-ocular reflex in humans
AU - van de Berg, Raymond
AU - Guinand, Nils
AU - Khoa Nguyen, T. A.
AU - Ranieri, Maurizio
AU - Cavuscens, Samuel
AU - Guyot, Jean Philippe
AU - Stokroos, Robert
AU - Kingma, Herman
AU - Perez-Fornos, Angelica
PY - 2015/1/20
Y1 - 2015/1/20
N2 - The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) shows frequency-dependent behavior. This study investigated whether the characteristics of the electrically evoked VOR (eVOR) elicited by a vestibular implant, showed the same frequency-dependency. Twelve vestibular electrodes implanted in seven patients with bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH) were tested. Stimuli consisted of amplitude-modulated electrical stimulation with a sinusoidal profile at frequencies of 0.5, 1, and 2 Hz. The main characteristics of the eVOR were evaluated and compared to the “natural” VOR characteristics measured in a group of age-matched healthy volunteers who were subjected to horizontal whole body rotations with equivalent sinusoidal velocity profiles at the same frequencies. A strong and significant effect of frequency was observed in the total peak eye velocity of the eVOR. This effect was similar to that observed in the “natural” VOR. Other characteristics of the (e)VOR (angle, habituation-index, and asymmetry) showed no significant frequency-dependent effect. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that, at least at the specific (limited) frequency range tested, responses elicited by a vestibular implant closely mimic the frequency-dependency of the “normal” vestibular system.
AB - The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) shows frequency-dependent behavior. This study investigated whether the characteristics of the electrically evoked VOR (eVOR) elicited by a vestibular implant, showed the same frequency-dependency. Twelve vestibular electrodes implanted in seven patients with bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH) were tested. Stimuli consisted of amplitude-modulated electrical stimulation with a sinusoidal profile at frequencies of 0.5, 1, and 2 Hz. The main characteristics of the eVOR were evaluated and compared to the “natural” VOR characteristics measured in a group of age-matched healthy volunteers who were subjected to horizontal whole body rotations with equivalent sinusoidal velocity profiles at the same frequencies. A strong and significant effect of frequency was observed in the total peak eye velocity of the eVOR. This effect was similar to that observed in the “natural” VOR. Other characteristics of the (e)VOR (angle, habituation-index, and asymmetry) showed no significant frequency-dependent effect. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that, at least at the specific (limited) frequency range tested, responses elicited by a vestibular implant closely mimic the frequency-dependency of the “normal” vestibular system.
KW - Bilateral vestibular areflexia
KW - Bilateral vestibulopathy
KW - Neural prosthesis
KW - Vestibular implant
KW - Vestibular prosthesis
KW - Vestibulo-ocular reflex
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84921992042&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00255
DO - 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00255
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84921992042
SN - 1662-5137
VL - 8
JO - Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience
JF - Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience
IS - JAN
M1 - 255
ER -