Efficacy of electrotactile vestibular substitution in patients with bilateral vestibular and central balance loss

Patients with bilateral vestibular loss (BVL) of both central and peripheral origin experience multiple problems with balance and posture control, movement, and abnormal gait. Wicab, Inc. has developed the BrainPort™ balance device to transmit head position/orientation information normally provided by the vestibular system to the brain through a substitute sensory channel: electrotactile stimulation of the tongue. Headorientation data (artificially sensed) serves as the input signal for the BrainPort balance device to control the movement of a small pattern of stimulation on the tongue that relates to head position in real-time. With training, the brain learns to appropriately interpret the information from the device and utilize it to function as it would with data from a normal-functioning natural sense. In a total of 40 subjects trained with the BrainPort, 18 have been tested using standardized quantitative measurements of the treatment effects. A specialized set of exercises, testing, and training procedures has been developed that may serve as the course of intensive physical therapy with the BrainPort balance device. Our results demonstrate consistent positive and statistically significant balance rehabilitation effects independent of aging and etiology of balance deficit.