[Artificial vestibular feedback in conditions of modified body scheme]

Subjects standing in darkness on the rigid support, kept a vertical posture which was destabilized by vibration of the Achilles tendons. To create a feedback on the vestibular input, transmastoidal bipolar galvanic stimulation was used. Changes of current in the feedback contour looked as linear function considering amplitude and velocity of the subject's head displacements in reference to the vertical. To change the body scheme we used some posture configurations: turning of the head in relation to the trunk; turning of the trunk with the head fixed; joint turning of the head and trunk. As a result of these configurations, the head could be turned approximately at right angle in relation to the feet. In addition turning of one foot at right angle in relation to the other foot was used. Artificial feedback reduces body fluctuations caused by vibration only in the vertical plane which passes through interaural axis of the head. The authors assume that directional changes of vestibulo-motor responses and results of application of artificial feedback during changes of orientation of the head in relation to the feet can be connected to change of ensembles of vestibular hair cells, which signals dominate in responses of vestibulo-spinal neurones.