Ertl M, Moser M, Boegle R, Conrad J, Zu Eulenburg P, Dieterich M
Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilian University, 81377 Munich, Germany; Graduate School of Systemic Neuroscience, Ludwig-Maximilian University, 82152 Munich, Germany; German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (IFB(LMU)), Ludwig-Maximilian University, 81377 Munich, Germany.
Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilian University, 81377 Munich, Germany.
Neuroimage. 2017 Jul 15;155:50-59. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.02.044. Epub 2017 Feb 22.
The vestibular organ senses linear and rotational acceleration of the head during active and passive motion. These signals are necessary for bipedal locomotion, navigation, the coordination of eye and head movements in 3D space. The temporal dynamics of vestibular processing in cortical structures have hardly been studied in humans, let alone with natural stimulation. The aim was to investigate the cortical vestibular network related to natural otolith stimulation using a hexapod motion platform. We conducted two experiments, 1. to estimate the sources of the vestibular evoked potentials (VestEPs) by means of distributed source localization (n=49), and 2. to reveal modulations of the VestEPs through the underlying acceleration intensity (n=24). For both experiments subjects were accelerated along the main axis (left/right, up/down, fore/aft) while the EEG was recorded. We were able to identify five VestEPs (P1, N1, P2, N2, P3) with latencies between 38 and 461 ms as well as an evoked beta-band response peaking with a latency of 68 ms in all subjects and for all acceleration directions. Source localization gave the cingulate sulcus visual (CSv) area and the opercular-insular region as the main origin of the evoked potentials. No lateralization effects due to handedness could be observed. In the second experiment, area CSv was shown to be integral in the processing of acceleration intensities as sensed by the otolith organs, hinting at its potential role in ego-motion detection. These robust VestEPs could be used to investigate the mechanisms of inter-regional interaction in the natural context of vestibular processing and multisensory integration.
前庭器官在主动和被动运动过程中感知头部的线性和旋转加速度。这些信号对于双足运动、导航以及在三维空间中眼动和头部运动的协调是必需的。在人类中，几乎没有研究过皮质结构中前庭处理的时间动态，更不用说自然刺激下的情况了。目的是使用六足运动平台研究与自然耳石刺激相关的皮质前庭网络。我们进行了两个实验，1. 通过分布式源定位估计前庭诱发电位（VestEPs）的来源（n = 49），2. 揭示VestEPs通过潜在加速度强度的调制（n = 24）。在记录脑电图时，让受试者沿着主轴（左/右、上/下、前/后）加速。我们能够识别出五个潜伏期在38至461毫秒之间的VestEPs（P1、N1、P2、N2、P3），以及在所有受试者和所有加速度方向上潜伏期为68毫秒时达到峰值的诱发β波段反应。源定位显示扣带回视觉（CSv）区域和岛盖区域是诱发电位的主要起源。未观察到由于利手导致的侧化效应。在第二个实验中，CSv区域被证明在耳石器官感知的加速度强度处理中不可或缺，这暗示了其在自我运动检测中的潜在作用。这些强大的VestEPs可用于研究前庭处理和多感官整合自然背景下区域间相互作用的机制。
