German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich , Germany.
Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich , Germany.
J Neurophysiol. 2019 Jun 1;121(6):2237-2255. doi: 10.1152/jn.00035.2019. Epub 2019 Apr 17.
Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) plays an important role in the quest to understand sensory signal processing in the vestibular system under normal and pathological conditions. It has become a highly relevant tool to probe neuronal computations and to assist in the differentiation and treatment of vestibular syndromes. Following its accidental discovery, GVS became a diagnostic tool that generates eye movements in the absence of head/body motion. With the possibility to record extracellular and intracellular spikes, GVS became an indispensable method to activate or block the discharge in vestibular nerve fibers by cathodal and anodal currents, respectively. Bernie Cohen, in his attempt to decipher vestibular signal processing, has used this method in a number of hallmark studies that have added to our present knowledge, such as the link between selective electrical stimulation of semicircular canal nerves and the generation of directionally corresponding eye movements. His achievements paved the way for other major milestones including the differential recruitment order of vestibular fibers for cathodal and anodal currents, pronounced discharge adaptation of irregularly firing afferents, potential activation of hair cells, and fiber type-specific activation of central circuits. Previous disputes about the structural substrate for GVS are resolved by integrating knowledge of ion channel-related response dynamics of afferents, fiber type-specific innervation patterns, and central convergence and integration of semicircular canal and otolith signals. On the basis of solid knowledge of the methodology, specific waveforms of GVS are currently used in clinical diagnosis and patient treatment, such as vestibular implants and noisy galvanic stimulation.
电前庭刺激（GVS）在探索正常和病理条件下前庭系统中感觉信号处理方面发挥着重要作用。它已成为探究神经元计算以及辅助前庭综合征的鉴别和治疗的重要工具。在意外发现之后，GVS 成为一种在没有头部/身体运动的情况下产生眼球运动的诊断工具。由于有可能记录到细胞外和细胞内的尖峰，因此 GVS 成为通过阴极和阳极电流分别激活或阻断前庭神经纤维放电的不可或缺的方法。伯尼·科恩（Bernie Cohen）在试图解码前庭信号处理时，在一些具有里程碑意义的研究中使用了这种方法，这些研究增加了我们目前的知识，例如选择性刺激半规管神经与产生方向相应的眼球运动之间的联系。他的成就为其他重要里程碑铺平了道路，包括前庭纤维对阴极和阳极电流的募集顺序的差异、不规则放电传入纤维的明显放电适应、毛细胞的潜在激活以及中央电路的纤维类型特异性激活。先前关于 GVS 结构基础的争议通过整合传入神经纤维的离子通道相关反应动力学、纤维类型特异性支配模式以及半规管和耳石信号的中枢会聚和整合的知识得到解决。基于对该方法学的扎实了解，目前正在将特定的 GVS 波形用于临床诊断和患者治疗，例如前庭植入物和噪声电前庭刺激。
