Klinische Neurophysiologie 2014; 45 - P12
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1371225

Neuronal correlates of passive body rotation – an EEG study

V Kirsch 1, 2, 3, M Ertl 1, 2, S Krafczyk 1, M Dieterich 1, 2, 3, 4
  • 1LMU, Neurology, München, Deutschland
  • 2LMU, Graduate School of Systemic Neuroscience (GSN), München, Deutschland
  • 3LMU, German Center for Vertigo & Balance Disorders- IFB, München, Deutschland
  • 4LMU, München Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), München, Deutschland

Introduction:

During the last years a bilateral network of cortical and subcortical areas in the temporo-parietal cortex around a core region in the posterior insula was delineated by functional imaging studies processing vestibular information [1 – 3]. This vestibular input has to be integrated with inputs from other sensory modalities such as visual and somatosensory. Our hypothesis was that coherent oscillatory firing patterns might be crucial for mediating cross-system integration of the brain. Compared to other sensory systems, however, the data on neural correlates of vestibular function in humans via EEG remain scarce. Aim of this study was to investigate the neural correlates of the vestibular cortical network during passive body rotation by means of EEG.

Materials/Methods:

Twenty right-handed healthy subjects were rotated using a rotatory chair and instructed to fixate a red light without rotation (Rest), while rotating (Fix) and without fixation whilst rotating (No-Fix). 32 EEG channels were recorded according to the international 10 – 20 systems. Further analysis of the frequency-bands was done using BrainVisionAnalyzer, MATLAB and LORETA.

Results:

No-Fix vs. Rest showed a significant increase of delta-band in the middle frontal gyrus. Fix vs. No-fix presented a significant increase in the delta-, theta-, alpha- and beta-band, which located bilaterally into the insula, temporal gyri (superior, middle, inferior), cingulate, the limbic lobe, the inferior parietal gyrus and the precuneus.

Conclusion:

The data suggest a complex bilateral network of multisensory vestibular cortical areas that are involved in the processing of vestibular stimuli. In anatomical analogy to animal studies on macaces our EEG analyses support the view that the parieto-insular vestibular cortex in the posterior insula in humans seems to be a “core region” within this vestibular network [4 – 5].

Supported by the Graduate School of Systemic Neuroscience (GSN), the BMBF (German Center for

Vertigo and Balance Disorders -IFBLMU) and the German Foundation for Neurology (Deutsche Stiftung

für Neurologie, DSN).

References:

[1] Dieterich, M. et al., Functional brain imaging: a window into the visuo-vestibular systems. Curr Opin Neurol, 2007. 20(1): p. 12 – 8.

[2] Zu Eulenburg P et al. Meta-amalytical definition and functional connectivity of the human vestibular cortex. Neuroimage 2012; 60: 162 – 169.

[3] Engel, AK et al., Multisensory Integration through Neural Coherence. In: Murray MM, Wallace MT, editors. The Neural Bases of Multisensory Processes. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press; 2012. Chapter 7.

[4] Grüsser, OJ et al., Localization and responses of neurons in the parieto-insular vestibular cortex of the awake monkeys. J Physiol 1990a,b; 430: 537 – 583.

[5] Chen, A et al., Convergence of vestibular and visual self-motion signals in an area of the posterior sylvian fissure. J Neurosci 2011; 31: 11617 – 11627.