Bio-inspired spiking neural network for modeling and optimizing adaptive vertigo therapy

Vertigo, a prevalent neurovestibular disorder, arises from dysfunction in the vestibular system and often lacks precise, personalized treatments. This study proposes a bio-inspired spiking neural network (SNN) model that simulates vestibular dysfunction and adaptive recovery using Leaky Integrate-and-Fire (LIF) neurons with spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP). The architecture mimics the vestibular pathway through biologically plausible layers: hair cells, afferents, and cerebellar integrators, and models pathological states such as hair cell hypofunction and synaptic disruption. A reinforcement-based feedback mechanism enables the simulation of therapy-induced plasticity, resulting in a 48-62% drop and 38% recovery in cerebellar spike activity during adaptation epochs. The model demonstrates real-time feasibility, with an average simulation runtime of  4 s per epoch on standard hardware. Its design is scalable and well-suited for future deployment on neuromorphic platforms (e.g., Loihi, SpiNNaker). Its modular and interpretable design enables in silico testing of rehabilitation strategies, real-time monitoring of dysfunction, and future personalization using clinical datasets. This work establishes a computational foundation for AI-driven vestibular therapy that is adaptive, explainable, and hardware compatible.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11571-025-10368-1.