Electrophysiological markers of vestibular-mediated self-motion perception – A pilot study

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 1840; p. 149048
• Main Authors: Hadi, Zaeem, Pondeca, Yuscah, Rust, Heiko M., Seemungal, Barry M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.10.2024
• Subjects: Cognition; EEG; Illusory-self motion; Neurology; Self-motion perception; Vection; Vestibular perception; Self-motion perception; Vestibular perception; Vection; Cognition; Illusory-self motion; EEG
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149048
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240

[Display omitted] •A new cognitive vection paradigm was introduced without any visual, somatosensory, and auditory stimuli.•Alpha band EEG is linked to bottom-up vestibular sensory activation.•Theta band EEG is linked to self-motion perception per se.•Beta band EEG changes represent the process of updating of the prior brain state. 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.