Artificial stimulation of the vestibular labyrinth: galvanic, magnetic, vibration, sound, and prostheses

The many ways (some new, some old) we can artificially stimulate the labyrinth beyond caloric irrigation provide opportunities to develop better diagnostic tests, more effective treatments and a clearer understanding of both normal and disturbed vestibular function. Likewise, the newer methods of recording, quantifying and analyzing the effects of artificial stimulation on eye movements and posture can be applied to both normal behavior and patients with many type of vestibular dysfunction. Their effects on higher level cortical functions can also be probed, for example, with imaging, EEG, evoked potentials, etc.



The overarching goal of this research topic is to display the remarkable progress that artificial stimulation of the labyrinth has brought to both the basic and clinical science of the vestibular system, and to point to the new frontiers that we can aim for with the latest techniques.



Here we plan for a collection of papers that address topical issues in all areas of basic and clinical vestibular science. We encourage papers that fall in the realm of:

- Computational neuroscience, including models of normal and abnormal vestibular function

- The use of artificial intelligence for interpreting the effects of artificial stimulation of the labyrinth, animals models, and all aspects of diagnostic testing

- Using the results of artificial stimulation as biomarkers for the natural progression of diseases and the response to treatments of all types

- Studies in vestibular adaptation and compensation

- Novel rehabilitation techniques including prolonged artificial stimulation including vestibular protheses

- Applications to remote monitoring and telemedicine