title: Noise-Enhanced Vestibular Input Improves Dynamic Walking Stability in Healthy Subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  White noise galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) is thought to enhance the sensitivity of vestibular organs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effects of noise-enhanced vestibular input on the walking performance in healthy subjects walking with eyes closed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Walking performance of 17 healthy subjects (mean age 28.8 ± 1.7 years) at slow, preferred, and fast speeds was examined during three different conditions: (1) walking with eyes open (EO) as baseline condition, (2) walking with eyes closed and sham noisy GVS (EC), and (3) walking with eyes closed and non-zero amplitude noisy GVS set to 80% of the individual sensory threshold for GVS (EC-GVS). Ten gait parameters were examined: stride time, stride length, base of support, swing time percentage, double support time percentage as well as gait asymmetry, bilateral phase coordination and the coefficient of variation (CV) of stride time, stride length and base of support.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Noisy GVS improved stride time CV by 36% (p < 0.034), stride length CV by 31% (p < 0.037), base of support CV by 14% (p < 0.009), and bilateral phase coordination by 23% (p < 0.034). The ameliorating effects of noisy GVS on locomotion function were primarily observable during slow walking speeds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Noise-enhanced vestibular input is effective in improving locomotion function and is accompanied by a subjectively felt improvement of walking balance. It predominantly targets the variability and bilateral coordination characteristics of the walking pattern, which are critically linked to dynamic walking stability. Noisy GVS might present an effective treatment option to improve walking performance in patients with bilateral vestibular dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders, University of Munich, Germany. Electronic address: Max.Wuehr@med.uni-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wuehr
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nusser
authors.affiliation: German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders, University of Munich, Germany; Department of Neurology, University of Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krafczyk
authors.affiliation: German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders, University of Munich, Germany; Department of Neurology, University of Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Straube
authors.affiliation: German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders, University of Munich, Germany; Institute for Clinical Neuroscience, University of Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.affiliation: German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders, University of Munich, Germany; Schoen Klinik Bad Aibling, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jahn
authors.affiliation: German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders, University of Munich, Germany; Department of Neurology, University of Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schniepp
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009622:Noise; D004856:Postural Balance; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000502:physiology*; D016138:Walking
keywords: Gait stability; Gait variability; Galvanic vestibular stimulation; Stochastic resonance; Vestibular feedback