Abstract
Objective: 1) Develop an auditory biofeedback device based on the Apple iPod Touch. 2) Investigate the efficacy of auditory biofeedback for patients with bilateral vestibular loss (BVL) using posturography.
Method: The “Vestio” vestibular prosthesis provides auditory biofeedback via a small head-mounted device that can be housed in a cap. It uses inputs from the iPod’s onboard accelerometer and gyroscope to determine head movement. This generates auditory biofeedback using a combination of pure tone sounds and wide-band pulses.
Results: Following a short training period, 5 patients with BVL were tested using the modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance (mCTSIB). Path length and COP were determined for each participant with Vestio turned off then repeated with the Vestio device turned on. These were compared using path length and sway. Both were found to be statistically significantly improved (P = .001). Repeat testing without the device showed a return to pre-test conditions. Patients in our pilot study went from falling on a hard surface with their eyes open to being stable on a compliant surface with their eyes closed.
Conclusion: Auditory biofeedback can be successfully applied using this specialized software on a widely available, low-cost device. Further work is being undertaken to exploit real-time gait measurement to incorporate a walking version of the algorithm.
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