2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Effects of the noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation for the excitability of the vestibulo-spinal tract and for the dynamic postural balance.

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	18K17908
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Review Section	Basic Section 59030:Physical education, and physical and health education-related
Research Institution	Shijonawate Gakuen University
Principal Investigator	Aoki Osamu 四條畷学園大学, リハビリテーション学部, 教授 (50637535)
Project Period (FY)	2018-04-01 – 2020-03-31
Keywords	前庭電気刺激 / ノイズ / バランス / 脳卒中
Outline of Final Research Achievements	In the post stroke patients, we compared the amplitude of the short latency of the vestibulo-spinal reflex (VSR) from the soleus and tibialis-anterior muscles between some stimulus intensities. As a result, 60% sub-threshold intensity showed the largest amplitude. We also investigated the intervention effect of the noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) for the VSR. The short VSR showed greater values at the post-intervention than that at the pre-intervention. There were no differences between noisy GVS and no GVS at the post-intervention. Although there were no intervention effects in the voluntary maximum displacement of center of pressure (max-COP) during cross test, the max-COP showed larger value with noisy GVS than without GVS. In conclusions, the temporary noisy GVS was enlarge the VSR, and an intervention had an effect for maintaining the VSR potentiation. In contrary, this intervention effect was not sustained for a week and was little for dynamic postural balance.
Free Research Field	姿勢制御
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	本報告ではノイズ前庭電気刺激により前庭脊髄路の興奮性が増大することを明らかにし、このことが静的立位バランスを改善させる要因である可能性を示した。この点において、本報告は学術的な意義を持つ。また、ノイズ刺激を治療介入に用いることで、前庭脊髄路の興奮性が変化することをはじめて示した。しかし現在のところ、動的バランスに対する改善効果を認めなかったという点において、この手法を実用化させることができず、社会的意義が十分ではないと考える。今後、動的バランスを改善させるための介入を模索し、学術ならびに社会的意義をさらに高めたい。