Effect of DC-GVS on resting functional EEG networks in healthy people.

Abstract

Objective: To establish a resting state functional network based on electroencephalogram (EEG) signals and explore the effects of different intensities of direct current (DC) Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) on healthy people. Furthermore, from the perspective of EEG connectivity and topological structure, the mechanism of DC GVS's influence on the connectivity of vestibular related nerve functions was studied.

Methods: the subjets were given DC GVS stimulations which indensities are one time pain threshold, two times pain threshold and four times pain threshold. Sham stimulation was applied to be the control group. EEG signals after stimulation were collected in every group. The wPLI method was used to construct the correlation matrix, and though setting the threshold value to construct the binary matrix. The brain network topology parameters that solved by binary matrix were analyzed to explore the impact of GVS with different intensities. Results: DC GVS stimulation of one-time threshold, two-times threshold and four-times threshold can change the brain network connection and the topological properties of the brain network. And the effect of two-times threshold GVS stimulation is the most significant.

Conclusion: GVS with different intensities on healthy people could improve the efficiency of information transmission in different brain regions, increase the speed of information transmission, and enhance the strength of functional connectivity. It provides a theoretical reference for the neural effects of GVS from the perspective of brain functional network.