Electrophysiological markers of vestibular-mediated self-motion perception – a pilot study
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Published version
Author(s)
Hadi, Zaeem
Pondeca, Yuscah
Rust, Heiko M
Seemungal, Barry M
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Peripheral vestibular activation results in multi-level responses, from brainstem-mediated reflexes (e.g. vestibular ocular reflex – VOR) to perception of self-motion. While VOR responses indicate preserved vestibular peripheral and brainstem functioning, there are no automated measures of vestibular perception of self-motion – important since some patients with brain disconnection syndromes manifest a vestibular agnosia (intact VOR but impaired self-motion perception). Electroencephalography (‘EEG’) – may provide a surrogate marker of vestibular perception of self-motion. A related objective is obtaining an EEG marker of vestibular sensory signal processing, distinct from vestibular-motion perception. We performed a pilot study comparing EEG responses in the dark when healthy participants sat in a vibrationless computer-controlled motorised rotating chair moving at near threshold of self-motion perception, versus a second situation in which subjects sat in the chair at rest in the dark who could be induced (or not) into falsely perceiving self-motion. In both conditions subjects could perceive self-motion perception, but in the second there was no bottom-up reflex-brainstem activation. Time-frequency analyses showed: (i) alpha frequency band activity is linked to vestibular sensory-signal activation; and (ii) theta band activity is a marker of vestibular-mediated self-motion perception. Consistent with emerging animal data, our findings support the role of theta activity in the processing of self-motion perception.
Date Issued
2024-10-01
Date Acceptance
2024-05-30
Citation
Brain Research, 2024, 1840
ISSN
0006-8993
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Journal / Book Title
Brain Research
Volume
1840
Copyright Statement
© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149048
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
149048
Date Publish Online
2024-06-04