Exploring the Feasibility of Mitigating Alcohol-Induced Instability Using Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation

Alcohol consumption significantly impairs postural stability by disrupting vestibular function, increasing the risk of falls. This study investigated the feasibility of using galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) to mitigate alcohol-induced postural instability in healthy adults, employing acute alcohol intake as a transient model of vestibular dysfunction. Sixty participants were assigned to groups with or without alcohol consumption (estimated blood alcohol concentration [BAC] 0.06%-0.08%) and randomly received one of three GVS types: random noise (rnGVS), direct current plus random noise (rn-dcGVS), or a sham stimulation (fGVS). Static balance was assessed using a stabilometric platform with eyes closed on an unstable surface. As expected, alcohol consumption significantly worsened stabilometric parameters, resembling vestibular pathological hypofunction. fGVS produced no significant changes, ruling out a placebo effect. Notably, rnGVS significantly improved postural stability in subjects who consumed alcohol, reducing sway velocity, maximal anteroposterior (Max AP), and mediolateral displacements (Max ML) during and immediately after stimulation. In contrast, rn-dcGVS worsened stability in subjects in the no alcohol consuming group with no significant change in the alcohol consuming group. These results demonstrate that rnGVS can effectively attenuate alcohol-induced postural instability in a transient experimental model of vestibular dysfunction and support the use of acute alcohol intake as a controlled model for investigating vestibular modulation.