Novel Neuromodulation Treatment of Age Related Vestibular Loss to Improve Balance and Gait in Elderly Individuals

摘要 神经功能丧失是衰老和疾病的常见问题。为了弥补这一损失，目前 神经刺激器已经使用了各种形式的刺激 引发神经调节。通常这些刺激器依赖于固定的频率和振幅 刺激。最近，我们发现随机电刺激的次知觉水平 应用于前庭系统产生前庭介导的反射功能的改善， 平衡和步态，展示了使用低水平的电刺激来增强 前庭系统的自然神经信号传导，无需外源性刺激。这个目标 目前的工作是证明持续改善平衡和步态，通过应用低 水平的随机电刺激前庭系统的老年人与 前庭功能减退我们假设老年参与者将表现出功能性 持续低水平随机电刺激的改善。这项工作将建立 使用安全的药物治疗老年人年龄相关前庭功能丧失的可行性参数 和有效量的电刺激。

Abstract Loss of neural function is a common problem with aging and disease. To treat this loss, current neural stimulators have used various forms of stimulation that putatively activate neurons to elicit neuromodulation. Generally these stimulators rely on a fixed frequency and amplitude stimulus. Recently, we have found that subperceptual levels of random electrical stimulation applied to the vestibular system produce improvements in vestibular-mediated reflex function, balance and gait demonstrating the use of low levels of electrical stimulation to enhance the natural neural signaling of the vestibular system without exogenous stimulus. The goal of this present work is to demonstrate the sustained improvement of balance and gait by applying low levels of random electrical stimulation to the vestibular system of elderly individuals with vestibular hypofunction. We hypothesize that elderly participants will display functional improvement with sustained low levels of random electrical stimulation. This work will establish parameters for viable treatment of age related vestibular loss in elderly individuals using safe and effective amounts of electrical stimulation.