New Concepts in Electrical Stimulation in Vestibular Dysfunction

There is a high prevalence of 'unknown' cases or misdiagnosed patients with bilateral vestibulopathy. With systematic review articles, review articles, and research articles this special topic issue of 'Audiology and Neurotology' aims to increase the quality of life of the patients and to reduce the cost of falls. What is outstanding about this issue is that it presents the most recent review of the latest clinical results from most of the important research centers all over the world relating to this new topic: the electrical stimulation of the vestibular system. The vestibular labyrinths, saccule and utricle, provide sensory input to neural circuits that facilitate accurate perception of spatial orientation and heading and support a stable posture. Millions of people worldwide suffer from severe vestibular disorders and are so at high risk of falls and injuries. Until now, restoring the function of the vestibular labyrinths has not been possible because they are surgically inaccessible due to their complex structure. The general objective of this special topic issue is to present the latest clinical data and to develop a device that provides information to the vestibular system to stimulate the vestibular nerve affected by malfunction of the vestibular system. The proposal for this issue was made by the European Consortium Research Group on Vestibular Implant under the auspices of the European Commission (Horizon2020 Grant Agreement No. 801127 Project Acronym: BionicVEST).