Journal
CURRENT OPINION IN NEUROLOGY
Volume 32, Issue 1, Pages 145-153Publisher
LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
DOI: 10.1097/WCO.0000000000000639
Keywords
balance; neuroprosthesis; plasticity; vestibular function; vestibulopathy
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Funding
- Swiss National Science Foundation
- INNOGAP proof-of-principle funds of the University of Geneva
- AURIS Foundation
- 7th Framework Programme of the European Union's Research and Innovation funding programme
- MED-EL (Innsbruck, Austria)
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Purpose of review Bilateral vestibular deficits exist and their prevalence is more important than believed by the medical community. Their severe impact has inspired several teams to develop technical solutions in an attempt to rehabilitate patients. A particularly promising pathway is the vestibular implant. This article describes the main milestones in this field, mainly focusing on work conducted in human patients. Recent findings There have been substantial research efforts, first in animals and more recently in humans, toward the development of vestibular implants. Humans have demonstrated surprising adaptation capabilities to the artificial vestibular signal. Today, the possibility of restoring vestibular reflexes, particularly the vestibulo-ocular reflex, and even achieving useful function in close-to-reality tasks (i.e. improving visual abilities while walking) have been demonstrated in humans. Summary The vestibular implant opens new perspectives, not only as an effective therapeutic tool, but also pushes us to go beyond current knowledge and well-established clinical concepts.
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