Abstract
Vestibular nuclei and cerebellar function comprise vestibular neural networks that control vestibular-related responses. However, the vestibular-related responses to simultaneous stimulation of these regions are unclear. This study aimed to examine whether the combination of noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation (nGVS) and cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS) using a complex transcranial electrical stimulation device alters vestibular-dominant standing stability and vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) function. The center of foot pressure (COP) sway and VOR of participants (28 healthy, young adults) were assessed under four conditions of transcranial electrical stimulation using nGVS and ctDCS. The COP was calculated with the participant standing on a soft-foam surface with eyes closed using a force plate to evaluate body sway. VOR measurements were collected via passive head movements and fixation on a target projected onto the front wall using a video head impulse test (vHIT). VOR gain was calculated in six directions using a semicircular canal structure based on the ratio of eye movement to head movement. The nGVS + ctDCS and nGVS + sham ctDCS conditions decreased COP sway compared to the sham nGVS + ctDCS and sham nGVS + sham ctDCS conditions. No significant differences were observed in the main effect of stimulation or the interaction of stimulation and direction on the vHIT parameters. The results of this study suggest that postural stability may be independently affected by nGVS. Our findings contribute to the basic neurological foundation for the clinical application of neurorehabilitation using transcranial electrical stimulation of the vestibular system.
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Acknowledgements
The authors express our gratitude to Genki Sato, Masato Yano, and Naoki Kondo for their continuous support, including assistance with data measurement, in the execution of this study.
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This work was supported by the Takeda Science Foundation, and by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI Grant Nos. 20H04059 and 22H03460.
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Conceptualization: TM and HN. Formal analysis and investigation: TM, HN, TS, and DF. Writing: TM, HN, TS, and MS. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.
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This study was approved by the Ethical Review Committee of Fukuoka International University of Health and Welfare (Approval No. 20-fiuhw-011). The study was conducted in accordance with the principles and guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki.
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Mitsutake, T., Nakazono, H., Shiozaki, T. et al. Changes in vestibular-related responses to combined noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation and cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation. Exp Brain Res 242, 99–108 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-023-06731-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-023-06731-5