Effectiveness of an electro-tactile vestibular substitution system in improving upright postural control in unilateral vestibular-defective patients.
We investigated the effects of an electro-tactile vestibular substitution system (EVSS) on upright postural control in 12 unilateral vestibular-defective patients. The underlying principle of this system consists in supplying the user with additional information about his/her head orientation/motion with respect to gravitational vertical, normally provided by the vestibular system, through electro-tactile stimulation of his/her tongue. Subjects were asked to stand as immobile as possible with their eyes closed in two No-EVSS and EVSS conditions. Reduced centre-of-foot pressure displacements were observed in the EVSS relative to the No-EVSS condition. These results, demonstrating the effectiveness of the EVSS system in improving upright postural control in unilateral vestibular-defective patients, could have implications in clinical and rehabilitative areas.
Vuillerme
Nicolas
N
Laboratoire TIMC-IMAG, UMR UJF 5525, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Grenoble, France. nicolas.vuillerme@imag.fr
Pinsault
Nicolas
N
Fleury
Anthony
A
Chenu
Olivier
O
Demongeot
Jacques
J
Payan
Yohan
Y
Pavan
Paul
P
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001676:Biofeedback, Psychology; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011312:Pressure; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology; D014059:Tongue / Q000502:physiology; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000502:physiology*