ELECTRICAL STIMULATION FOR THE VESTIBULAR NERVE

该子项目是利用资源的众多研究子项目之一 由 NIH/NCRR 资助的中心拨款提供。子项目的主要支持 并且子项目的主要研究者可能是由其他来源提供的， 包括其他 NIH 来源。 子项目可能列出的总成本 代表子项目使用的中心基础设施的估计数量， NCRR 赠款不直接向子项目或子项目工作人员提供资金。 目前对于病理性前庭功能患者的治疗选择有限。内耳前庭感觉丧失会导致失衡和振荡。 部分损失会导致不平衡。 梅尼埃病等疾病的波动性损失会导致间歇性眩晕和恶心。 我们的项目是开发一种植入式前庭假体，以替代失去的前庭功能或纠正患有这些疾病的患者的异常前庭功能。 具体来说，我们开发了一种耳蜗植入技术的改进，以提供我们设备的可植入部分，然后开发新的软件和外部硬件，通过适合在恒河猴中产生反射性眼球运动反应的电刺激来驱动单个半规管神经。 然后，我们记录各个前庭神经元，以确定刺激过程中发生的中央处理，以产生观察到的行为。 我们现在使用经鼓室注射庆大霉素来消除前庭输入，然后使用电刺激来补偿损失。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Currently there are limited treatment options for patients with pathological vestibular function. Loss of vestibular sensation from the inner ear results in imbalance and oscillopsia. Partial loss results in disequilibrium. Fluctuating loss in conditions such as Meniere's disease, results in intermittent vertigo and nausea. Our project was to develop an implantable vestibular prosthesis to replace lost vestibular function or correct abnormal vestibular function in patients suffering from these conditions. Specifically, we developed a modification of cochlear implant technology to provide the implantable portion of our device, and then developed new software and external hardware to drive individual semicircular canal nerves with electrical stimuli appropriate to produce reflexive eye movement responses in rhesus monkeys. We then recorded from individual vestibular neurons to determine the central processing that takes place during stimulation to produce the observed behavior. We are now using transtympanic injections of gentamicin to eliminate vestibular input and then using electrical stimulation to compensate for the loss.