ELECTRICAL STIMULATION FOR THE VESTIBULAR NERVE

这个子项目是利用资源的许多研究子项目之一。 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。对子项目的主要支持 子项目的首席调查员可能是由其他来源提供的， 包括美国国立卫生研究院的其他来源。为子项目列出的总成本可能 表示该子项目使用的中心基础设施的估计数量， 不是由NCRR赠款提供给次级项目或次级项目工作人员的直接资金。 目前，对病理性前庭功能患者的治疗选择有限。从内耳失去前庭感觉会导致不平衡和视振荡。部分损失会导致不平衡。在梅尼埃病等情况下的波动损失，会导致间歇性眩晕和恶心。我们的项目是开发一种可植入的前庭假体，以取代丧失的前庭功能或纠正患有这些疾病的患者的异常前庭功能。 具体地说，我们开发了一种改进的人工耳蜗植入技术，以提供我们设备的可植入部分，然后开发了新的软件和外部硬件来驱动单独的半规管神经，以适当的电刺激来产生猕猴的反射性眼动反应。然后，我们从单个前庭神经元记录，以确定在刺激过程中发生的中央处理，以产生观察到的行为。我们现在正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.