Implantation of artificial electronic organs in the inner ear helps patients regain their sixth sense

The vestibular labyrinth in the inner ear regulates our sixth sense, and if it is damaged, people will lose their balance. Fortunately, advances in the field of bionic ears have the potential to restore balance to normal for such patients.

Implantation of artificial electronic organs in the inner ear may one day allow patients to see clearly again and regain their lost sense of balance.

inner ear

● Disorders of the vestibular organs in the inner ear can cause severe vertigo and cause shaking and blurred visual images.

● The three semicircular canals in the inner ear are the key parts of the human body to detect head rotation.

● Researchers are currently developing artificial bionic ears that can replace the semicircular canals and restore the body's sense of balance.

When asked how many senses we have, we usually list the following five: taste, touch, sight, smell and hearing. Most people have never even noticed that they have a sixth sense - the sense of head orientation and movement. Once this sense is lost, people will experience severe disabling vertigo, and gradually develop symptoms such as inability to maintain body balance and blurred vision when moving the head. The vestibular labyrinth in the inner ear regulates our sixth sense, and once it is damaged, people will lose balance. Fortunately, research progress in the field of bionic ears has the potential to restore the sense of balance to normal in such patients.

Richard Gannon, a 57-year-old retired boilermaker in the United States, can't wait to embrace inner ear repair technology. Gannon, who currently lives between Pennsylvania and Florida, suffered a serious illness due to a viral infection seven years ago and lost most of his sense of balance. "Let me be the first person to receive an artificial vestibule (a part of the inner ear)," Gannon said. "I have been waiting for five years. If they can do it, I will go to the hospital immediately."

"Because I love being with water, I moved to the beach after I retired. But since I lost my sense of balance, I can't walk properly, especially on the beach," said Gannon, who was once an avid swimmer. "When mothers see me staggering, they think I'm a drunk and keep their children away from me. Even if I stand in the waves that are only a few centimeters high, I feel like I'm going to fall. I almost never drive now, and I definitely won't drive at night because I'll see every headlight as 20."

Gannon has no trouble driving during the day, but at night, the streetlights that flash past him like comets are "like a laser light show." "I'd rather lose my hearing to get my balance back," he jokes. Recent advances in bionic ear research offer hope to Gannon and the thousands of people who have lost their sense of balance. They have all suffered inner ear damage from a variety of causes, including antibiotics (such as gentamicin), chemotherapy, meningitis, Meniere's disease, and other conditions.

Stay upright and steady

The vestibular labyrinth can detect which way is up and determine the direction of the body's movement, which is very important for maintaining body balance.

Similar to cochlear implants that electrically stimulate part of the auditory nerve to restore hearing, this new bionic ear stimulates the vestibular nerve through electrodes, allowing it to function normally, transmitting signals from the vestibular labyrinth to the brain, thereby restoring a stable sense of balance. The neural pathways connected to the device can bypass the damaged vestibular system and work normally. A healthy vestibular labyrinth performs two important tasks.

One detects which way is up and which direction the body is heading. This information is essential for keeping the body in a normal position when standing or walking. The other detects how the head is turning, and the brain uses this information to keep the eyes on the target. Every time the head is raised, the vestibular labyrinth sends a command to the eyes to turn downward at exactly the same rate, ensuring that the image on the retina remains stable. Without this vestibular-to-ocular reflex circuit, the image you see would be blurry, like a shaky movie shot with a handheld camera. In bionic ear implant treatment, this reflex circuit will be replaced by an artificial inner ear organ, and a large part of its function will be restored.

In the vestibular labyrinth, the task of detecting head rotation is performed by the fluid-filled semicircular canals. The three semicircular canals are perpendicular to each other in the inner ear, so they can perform three-dimensional positioning of head rotation. There is a semicircular canal in each ear to detect horizontal rotation. When the head turns to the left, the fluid in the semicircular canal exerts pressure on the mucous membrane extending to the end of the canal due to inertia, causing the cilia on the cells there to bend. The bending of the cilia stimulates the vestibular nerve endings, which send impulse signals to the sensory perception center - the brainstem, and the movement control center - the cerebellum. The brainstem and cerebellum then send information to the muscles, which can make the eyes turn in the opposite direction of the head movement.