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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
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Stochastic Noise Application for the Assessment of Medial Vestibular Nucleus Neuron Sensitivity In Vitro
Published on: August 28, 2019
Electrical stimulation to restore vestibular function development of a 3-d vestibular prosthesis
Charles Della Santina1, Americo Migliaccio, Amit Patel
1Departments of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Summary
A new vestibular prosthesis aims to restore balance and visual stability for patients with vestibular loss. This implantable device encodes head movement in three dimensions to improve quality of life.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Bilateral loss of vestibular function causes disabling disequilibrium and visual disturbances.
- Restoring vestibular sensation via an implantable prosthesis could significantly enhance patient quality of life.
- Effective vestibular prostheses must encode three-dimensional head rotation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the three-dimensional angular vestibulo-ocular reflex in normal and vestibular-deficient chinchillas.
- To design and fabricate a head-mounted vestibular prosthesis capable of encoding three-dimensional head movement.
Main Methods:
- Recorded the three-dimensional angular vestibulo-ocular reflex in chinchillas.
- Utilized functional electrical stimulation of the vestibular nerve in vestibular-deficient chinchillas.
- Designed and fabricated an 8-electrode, head-mounted vestibular prosthesis.
Main Results:
- Characterized the three-dimensional angular vestibulo-ocular reflex in both normal and vestibular-deficient chinchilla models.
- Successfully designed and fabricated a multi-electrode vestibular prosthesis prototype.
- Demonstrated the prosthesis's capability to encode head movement in three dimensions.
Conclusions:
- A functional, multi-dimensional vestibular prosthesis is feasible for restoring vestibular sensation.
- This technology holds promise for improving the quality of life for individuals with vestibular loss.
- Further development could lead to effective treatments for vestibular disorders.
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