Probing Vestibular Function With Frequency- Modulated Electrical Vestibular Stimulation

Electrical vestibular stimulation (EVS) is a non-invasive technique used to affect the vestibular system. It disturbs the sense of balance and evokes false sensations of movement by modulating the firing rate of vestibular afferents. This study used frequency-modulated EVS (FM-EVS) combined with cen...

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Main Authors: Janita Nissi, Otto Kangasmaa, Ilkka Laakso
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2025-01-01
Series:IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering
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Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10976990/
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author Janita Nissi
Otto Kangasmaa
Ilkka Laakso
author_facet Janita Nissi
Otto Kangasmaa
Ilkka Laakso
author_sort Janita Nissi
collection DOAJ
description Electrical vestibular stimulation (EVS) is a non-invasive technique used to affect the vestibular system. It disturbs the sense of balance and evokes false sensations of movement by modulating the firing rate of vestibular afferents. This study used frequency-modulated EVS (FM-EVS) combined with center-of pressure (CoP) measurements to investigate the strength-frequency relationship of the stimulation and the evoked responses. CoP responses to FM-EVS were measured for ten subjects. Stimulus waveforms composed of linear chirps were compared to the evoked CoP responses, producing estimates of the highest frequencies at which EVS affected the CoP for stimulation currents of 0.75, 1.0 and 1.5 mA. Latency was calculated as the delay between the CoP response and stimulus. In situ electric field in the vestibular system was determined using fifteen high-resolution anatomical head models using the finite element method. CoP responses were evoked at up to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$5.5~\pm ~1.1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> Hz with 0.75 mA, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$8.2~\pm ~1.1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> Hz with 1.0 mA, and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$10.5~\pm ~1.2$ </tex-math></inline-formula> Hz with 1.5 mA. The vestibular electric field was <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$175~\pm ~23$ </tex-math></inline-formula> mVm<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${}^{-{1}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> per 1 mA current. The average latency of the response was <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$86~\pm ~17$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ms. The results provide insight into the strength-frequency dependency for EVS-evoked motion responses with estimates for the in situ electric field strength, which can be used for the future development of human electromagnetic field exposure guidelines or the design of both EVS and transcranial electrical brain stimulation studies.
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spelling doaj-art-8da5df7d2d054f4399f5024d037048b02025-08-20T03:53:17ZengIEEEIEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering1534-43201558-02102025-01-01331707171410.1109/TNSRE.2025.356438810976990Probing Vestibular Function With Frequency- Modulated Electrical Vestibular StimulationJanita Nissi0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9527-6269Otto Kangasmaa1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7993-0010Ilkka Laakso2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8162-1356Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation and Aalto Neuroimaging, Aalto University, Espoo, FinlandDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Automation and Aalto Neuroimaging, Aalto University, Espoo, FinlandDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Automation and Aalto Neuroimaging, Aalto University, Espoo, FinlandElectrical vestibular stimulation (EVS) is a non-invasive technique used to affect the vestibular system. It disturbs the sense of balance and evokes false sensations of movement by modulating the firing rate of vestibular afferents. This study used frequency-modulated EVS (FM-EVS) combined with center-of pressure (CoP) measurements to investigate the strength-frequency relationship of the stimulation and the evoked responses. CoP responses to FM-EVS were measured for ten subjects. Stimulus waveforms composed of linear chirps were compared to the evoked CoP responses, producing estimates of the highest frequencies at which EVS affected the CoP for stimulation currents of 0.75, 1.0 and 1.5 mA. Latency was calculated as the delay between the CoP response and stimulus. In situ electric field in the vestibular system was determined using fifteen high-resolution anatomical head models using the finite element method. CoP responses were evoked at up to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$5.5~\pm ~1.1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> Hz with 0.75 mA, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$8.2~\pm ~1.1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> Hz with 1.0 mA, and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$10.5~\pm ~1.2$ </tex-math></inline-formula> Hz with 1.5 mA. The vestibular electric field was <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$175~\pm ~23$ </tex-math></inline-formula> mVm<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${}^{-{1}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> per 1 mA current. The average latency of the response was <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$86~\pm ~17$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ms. The results provide insight into the strength-frequency dependency for EVS-evoked motion responses with estimates for the in situ electric field strength, which can be used for the future development of human electromagnetic field exposure guidelines or the design of both EVS and transcranial electrical brain stimulation studies.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10976990/Electrical vestibular stimulationgalvanic vestibular stimulationpostural controldosimetrybalance
spellingShingle Janita Nissi
Otto Kangasmaa
Ilkka Laakso
Probing Vestibular Function With Frequency- Modulated Electrical Vestibular Stimulation
IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering
Electrical vestibular stimulation
galvanic vestibular stimulation
postural control
dosimetry
balance
title Probing Vestibular Function With Frequency- Modulated Electrical Vestibular Stimulation
title_full Probing Vestibular Function With Frequency- Modulated Electrical Vestibular Stimulation
title_fullStr Probing Vestibular Function With Frequency- Modulated Electrical Vestibular Stimulation
title_full_unstemmed Probing Vestibular Function With Frequency- Modulated Electrical Vestibular Stimulation
title_short Probing Vestibular Function With Frequency- Modulated Electrical Vestibular Stimulation
title_sort probing vestibular function with frequency modulated electrical vestibular stimulation
topic Electrical vestibular stimulation
galvanic vestibular stimulation
postural control
dosimetry
balance
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10976990/
work_keys_str_mv AT janitanissi probingvestibularfunctionwithfrequencymodulatedelectricalvestibularstimulation
AT ottokangasmaa probingvestibularfunctionwithfrequencymodulatedelectricalvestibularstimulation
AT ilkkalaakso probingvestibularfunctionwithfrequencymodulatedelectricalvestibularstimulation