Q. WHAT IS VESTIBULAR IMPLANT? WHERE IS IT KEPT AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Vestibular implant is a new electronic implant designed to artificially restore the vestibular function in patients with bilateral vestibular loss by providing the CNS with motion information using electrical stimulation of the vestibular nerve.
It measures the head movement and stimulate the vestibular nerve in the inner ear.
Vestibular implant is inserted under the skin behind the ear and into the inner ear via surgery similar in cochlear implantation. During the first 4 months of the surgery the device will be activated and then deactivated.
The Vestibular implant has 4 components:
Electrical stimulator
Three extra-cochlear electrodes that are placed in the ampulae of each SCC and
Intra-cochlear array
When it is turned on, trains of electrical stimulation in the form of charge balance biphasic pulse are delivered down each extra-cochlear electrode toward the respective vestibular nerve . Ultimately the electrical stimulation would restore balance by stabilizing the gaze via VOR.
Protection