The goals of this project are to develop an electrical prosthesis for people who have impaired vestibular function, and to use the prosthesis to investigate the vestibular system in a way that is not feasible via mechanical means. This investigation will study the vestibular system in guinea pigs and squirrel monkeys by stimulating the vestibular nerve with modulated electrical pulses that contain signals at a variety of frequencies, and characterizing the sensitivity and phase of their angular vestibuloocular reflex at the same frequencies where the input has components. Another topic to be studied is adaptation of eye movements to electrical stimulation of the vestibular nerve. Initial stimulation is expected to cause inappropriate eye movements that are not compensatory for the animal's head movements. When electrical stimulation is applied chronically, these eye movements will be recorded and studied using the tools of spectral analysis, in order to closely monitor whether the eye movements adapt to the stimulation and discontinue (or reduce) noncompensatory components.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
Project #
1F31DC006202-01A2
Application #
6793783
Study Section
Communication Disorders Review Committee (CDRC)
Program Officer
Sklare, Dan
Project Start
2004-01-16
Project End
2007-07-14
Budget Start
2004-01-16
Budget End
2005-01-15
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2004
Total Cost
$43,506
Indirect Cost
Name
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Department
Engineering (All Types)
Type
Schools of Engineering
DUNS #
001425594
City
Cambridge
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02139
Saginaw, Michael A; Gong, Wangsong; Haburcakova, Csilla et al. (2011) Attenuation of eye movements evoked by a vestibular implant at the frequency of the baseline pulse rate. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 58:2732-9