GALVANIC VESTIBULAR STIMULATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

摘要

A system and method of altering the output of a vestibular system including providing a source of time-varying galvanic current, transcutaneously delivering time-varying galvanic current to vestibular afferents associated with the vestibular system in order to modulate firing level of the vestibular afferents, and inducing a coherent time-varying sway response that counteracts postural sway. In an alternative embodiment there is provided a galvanic vestibular stimulation system including a source which transcutaneously delivers time-varying galvanic current to vestibular afferents in order to modulate the firing level of the vestibular afferents, a monitor which monitors postural sway thereby providing indication of necessary galvanic current to be delivered. The system induces a coherent time-varying sway response that counteracts the monitored postural sway.