NYC Gazette

A recent study published in PLOS ONE has shed light on the role of sound in affecting balance for individuals with vestibular hypofunction, a disorder of the vestibular system that impairs balance. The research was led by Anat Lubetzky, an associate professor at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

The vestibular system, located in the inner ear, is crucial for detecting head motions and maintaining body balance through information processed by the brain from various sources like eyes and joints. While visual disruptions such as strobe lights are known to impact balance, this study highlights that sounds can also be disruptive for those with vestibular disorders.

Lubetzky explains that people with vestibular hypofunction often struggle in environments like busy streets or train stations due to overwhelming visual stimuli. She emphasizes the importance of considering sounds during physical therapy sessions as they have been found to significantly affect balance.

In the experiment conducted by the researchers, 61 participants were divided into two groups: healthy controls and individuals with unilateral vestibular hypofunction. Participants used a virtual reality headset simulating a New York City subway experience while standing on a platform measuring their body movement. They were exposed to different scenarios involving static or moving visuals paired with silence, white noise, or recorded subway sounds.

The findings indicated that those with vestibular hypofunction experienced increased sway when exposed to moving visuals accompanied by audio. This sway was noted in forward and backward body movements as well as head movements and tilts. In contrast, healthy individuals' balance remained unaffected by audio conditions.

Lubetzky suggests incorporating sound into both assessment and intervention programs for balance issues. She notes that portable virtual headsets could be effective tools for evaluating and treating these problems by using real sounds from patients' typical environments combined with challenging visual cues.

The study received funding from several sources including a grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R21DC018101), resources from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (UL1TR004419).