2019-04-23
Neural substrates, dynamics and thresholds of galvanic vestibular stimulation in the behaving primate
Publication
Publication
Nature Communications , Volume 10
Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) uses the external application of electrical current to selectively target the vestibular system in humans. Despite its recent popularity for the assessment/treatment of clinical conditions, exactly how this non-invasive tool activates the vestibular system remains an open question. Here we directly investigate single vestibular afferent responses to GVS applied to the mastoid processes of awake-behaving monkeys. Transmastoid GVS produces robust and parallel activation of both canal and otolith afferents. Notably, afferent activation increases with intrinsic neuronal variability resulting in constant GVS-evoked neuronal detection thresholds across all afferents. Additionally, afferent tuning differs for GVS versus natural self-motion stimulation. Using a stochastic model of repetitive activity in afferents, we largely explain the main features of GVS-evoked vestibular afferent dynamics. Taken together, our results reveal the neural substrate underlying transmastoid GVS-evoked perceptual, ocular and postural responses—information that is essential to advance GVS applicability for biomedical uses in humans.
| Additional Metadata | |
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| doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09738-1, hdl.handle.net/1765/116932 | |
| Nature Communications | |
| Organisation | Department of Neuroscience |
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Kwan, A., Forbes, P.A., Mitchell, D.E., Blouin, J.S., & Cullen, K.E. (2019). Neural substrates, dynamics and thresholds of galvanic vestibular stimulation in the behaving primate. Nature Communications, 10. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-09738-1 |
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