Can Vestibular Stimulation be Used to Treat Obesity?: Vestibular stimulation targeting the otoliths could rebalance energy homeostasis to trigger a leaner body habitus and thus treat metabolic syndrome.

It is hypothesized that repeated, non-invasive stimulation of the vestibular (balance) system, via a small electrical current to the skin behind the ears, will cause the brain centers that control energy homeostasis to shift the body toward a leaner physique. This is because these centers integrate multiple inputs to, in effect, fix a set-point for body fat, which though difficult to alter is not immutable. They will interpret repeated stimulation of the parts of the vestibular system that detect acceleration as a state of chronic activity. During such a physiologically challenging time it is preferable, from an energy homeostasis viewpoint, to both utilize fat reserves, and reduce the volume of these reserves and thus the energy cost of carrying them around. Hence, this type of vestibular stimulation could potentially be a therapeutic option for metabolic syndrome disorders such as obesity. This hypothesis is eminently testable via a clinical trial.