Rubinstein Jay T, Nie Kaibao, Bierer Steven, Ling Leo, Phillips James O
Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, Departments of Otolaryngology and Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2010;2010:6247. doi: 10.1109/IEMBS.2010.5628064.
An implanted vestibular neurostimulator has been developed based on commercial cochlear implant technology. It has been implanted chronically in Rhesus monkeys and the physiology of electrical stimulation of the vestibular periphery has been studied. We are currently proposing a human feasibility study of implantation of the device for the treatment of incapacitating Meniere's disease. Because no animal model of Meniere's disease exists, signal processing for such a device must be based on prior observations of human subjects who have suffered Meniere's attacks while their eye-movements could be quantified. Based on such data, and on the leading theories for the pathophysiology of a Meniere's attack, our animal data suggests that fixed amplitude, constant frequency biphasic pulse trains should be adequate to suppress the symptoms of an attack when they occur. The intensity of the stimuli and efficacy of vertigo suppression should be readily modulated either by amplitude or frequency adjustments.
基于商用人工耳蜗技术，已研发出一种植入式前庭神经刺激器。该刺激器已长期植入恒河猴体内，并对前庭外周电刺激的生理学进行了研究。我们目前正在提议开展一项关于植入该设备治疗重度梅尼埃病的人体可行性研究。由于不存在梅尼埃病的动物模型，此类设备的信号处理必须基于对曾遭受梅尼埃病发作且眼动可被量化的人类受试者的先前观察。基于这些数据以及梅尼埃病发作病理生理学的主流理论，我们的动物数据表明，固定幅度、恒定频率的双相脉冲序列在发作时应足以抑制发作症状。刺激强度和眩晕抑制效果应可通过幅度或频率调整轻松调节。
