Balance compensation

Abstract

Disclosed technology includes technology for compensating for a balance dysfunction. A system can combine sensory substitution with balance dysfunction suppression. Dysfunctional balance information coming from a recipient's vestibular system is inhibited using stimulation. Balance information (e.g., how the recipient is positioned with respect to gravity, such as rotation along pitch and roll axes) is then passed to another sensory channel (e.g., visual, audible, or tactile sensory channels). Such a system can be implemented with a cochlear implant or another sensory prostheses having balance signals injected into the stimulation signal processing path.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 adjusting at least one of a recipient's vestibular system function or the recipient's perception of vestibular system function; and   providing a compensation output signal to the recipient via one or more non-vestibular channels of the recipient after or while the recipient's vestibular system function or the recipient's perception of vestibular system function is adjusted.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the compensation output signal encodes data regarding rotation about pitch axis using a first characteristic and data regarding rotation about a roll axis using a second characteristic. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the compensation output signal to the recipient via one or more non-vestibular channels of the recipient includes:
 deactivating tissue associated with the vestibular system.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the compensation output signal to the recipient via one or more non-vestibular channels of the recipient includes:
 ablating tissue associated with the vestibular system.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a pharmacological agent to the recipient. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the compensation output signal to the recipient via one or more non-vestibular channels of the recipient includes:
 causing a hearing percept in the recipient.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein causing the hearing percept in the recipient includes:
 electrically stimulating a cochlea of the recipient using an electrode of an auditory prosthesis.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-vestibular channels include:
 an auditory sensory channel, a tactile sensory channel, or a visual sensory channel.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the compensation output signal to the recipient via one or more non-vestibular channels of the recipient includes:
 inhibiting the recipient's vestibular system.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the compensation output signal to the recipient via one or more non-vestibular channels of the recipient includes:
 encoding data regarding rotation about a roll axis using a first characteristic; and   encoding data regarding rotation about a pitch axis using a second characteristic,   wherein the first and second characteristics are selected from a group consisting of loudness, pitch, stimulation frequency, melody, rhythm, stereo effect, and location.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the compensation output signal to the recipient via one or more non-vestibular channels of the recipient includes:
 delivering electrical stimulation at less than approximately 1 KHz.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the compensation output signal to the recipient via one or more non-vestibular channels of the recipient includes:
 delivering electrical stimulation at approximately 500 Hz.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the compensation output signal to the recipient via one or more non-vestibular channels of the recipient includes:
 delivering electrical stimulation at approximately 900 Hz.   
     
     
         14 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a first stimulation component configured to deliver first stimulation signals to a vestibular system of a recipient; and   a second stimulation component configured to, after or while the first stimulation component delivers the first stimulation signals to the vestibular system, deliver second stimulation signals to the recipient via one or more non-vestibular channels of the recipient,   wherein the second stimulation signals are configured to treat at least one of a vestibular system dysfunction or the recipient's perception of vestibular system dysfunction.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first stimulation component comprises a first implantable stimulation assembly comprising a set of one or more electrodes configured to stimulate vestibular tissue of the recipient, and wherein the second stimulation component comprises a second implantable stimulation assembly comprising a set of one or more electrodes configured to stimulate cochlea tissue of a recipient. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first stimulation signals are configured to inhibit the recipient's vestibular system. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the second stimulation signals are configured to encode balance information regarding rotation about pitch axis using a first characteristic and balance information regarding rotation about a roll axis using a second characteristic. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second characteristics are selected from a group consisting of loudness, pitch, stimulation frequency, melody, rhythm, stereo effect, and location. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the second stimulation signals are configured to deactivate tissue associated with the recipient's vestibular system. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the second stimulation signals are configured to ablate tissue associated with the recipient's vestibular system. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more non-vestibular channels include:
 an auditory sensory channel, a tactile sensory channel, or a visual sensory channel.