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A theoretical and experimental determination of vestibular dynamics in caloric stimulation

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Abstract

A biophysical model was established for predicting the temperature at the horizontal semicircular canal and the horizontal slowphase velocity (SPV) in response to water or air irrigations of various flow rates and time varying temperatures. This model considered the thermal characteristics and blood flows of the skin and temporal bone. Long-term caloric stimulation with air at 101/min was performed on 16 healthy subjects using step input and pseudo-random temperature variations. The results were in agreement with the predicted static and dynamic SPV responses. The model predictions were also correct in the case of water irrigations performed by other investigations with respect to SPV and the temperatures measured at the semicircular canal. An association of higher responses with lower response time as postulated by the model, was confirmed by the experimental results, and was thought to be due to vasomotor changes in the skin. The most important model parameters were the length of the heat transmission path, the effective heat conductivity of the skin, and the blood flow and heat conductivity of the temporal bone, in addition to the flow rates and thermodynamic properties of the irrigation. These parameters should thus be considered in further caloric stimulation studies for a better understanding of the large variability in vestibular responses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

    A. J. Baertschi, R. N. Johnson & G. R. Hanna

  2. Département de Physiologie, Rue de l'Ecole-de-Médecine 20, Genéve, Switzerland

    A. J. Baertschi

Authors
  1. A. J. Baertschi
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  2. R. N. Johnson
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  3. G. R. Hanna
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This research was supported in part by Program Project Grant HL 11747.

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Baertschi, A.J., Johnson, R.N. & Hanna, G.R. A theoretical and experimental determination of vestibular dynamics in caloric stimulation. Biol. Cybernetics 20, 175–186 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00342638

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00342638

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