Suppression of the sensory conflict status using biofeedback information channel

Abstract

Proposed is the biofeedback technique to diminish or eliminate the sensory conflict status using the galvanic stimulation of the vestibular pathway. The stabilization task for the human to maintain the body upright position near the local vertical is considered in presence of the visual disbalancing input. An independent inertial gauge rigidly attached to the body was used to estimate the real body sways from the local vertical. The gauge signals being converted to the galvanic stimulation signals of the vestibular pathway formed the biofeedback channel delivering an additional information to the central nervous system (CNS). The corresponding mathematical model and software, based on the quaternion algebra are given to explain and analyze the experimental data. This model explains a number of the experimental phenomena including the new finding that consists of the appearance of the mean body sway value lower then conventional one corresponding to conditions of absence of any disbalancing input as well as the biofeedback.