Event:

Galvanic vestibular stimulation is an old technique recognised originally for the balance disturbances it creates in standing subjects. As it creates a pure vestibular disturbance without activating other sensory channels, we have used GVS to explore the vestibular and multisensory contributions to balance, locomotion, movement perception, and orientation. These studies reveal a remarkable rapid plasticity in vestibular responses depending on the availability of other sensory cues. Overall, the observed responses are consistent with the net stimulation of the semicircular canals, and this seems different to the ocular responses evoked by GVS. This presentation outlines our history of GVS studies with a view to understanding why ocular responses might be different