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Zhang J, Zhang S, Li Y, Xiao L, Yu S, Wu X, Shen S, Xu H. Investigation on biomechanical responses in bilateral semicircular canals and nystagmus in vestibulo-ocular reflex experiments under different forward-leaning angles. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1322008. [PMID: 38384434 PMCID: PMC10879882 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1322008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Different head positions affect the responses of the vestibular semicircular canals (SCCs) to angular movement. Specific head positions can relieve vestibular disorders caused by excessive stimulating SCCs. In this study, we quantitatively explored responses of human SCCs using numerical simulations of fluid-structure interaction and vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) experiments under different forward-leaning angles of the head, including 0°, 10°, 20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, and 60°. It was found that the horizontal nystagmus slow-phase velocity and corresponding biomechanical responses of the cupula in horizontal SCC increased with the forward-leaning angles of the head, reached a maximum when the head was tilted 30° forward, and then gradually decreased. However, no obvious vertical or torsional nystagmus was observed in the VOR experiments. In the numerical model of bilateral SCCs, the biomechanical responses of the cupula in the left anterior SCC and the right anterior SCC showed the same trends; they decreased with the forward-leaning angles, reached a minimum at a 40° forward tilt of the head, and then gradually increased. Similarly, the biomechanical responses of the cupula in the left posterior SCC and in the right posterior SCC followed a same trend, decreasing with the forward-leaning angles, reaching a minimum at a 30° forward tilt of the head, and then gradually increasing. Additionally, the biomechanical responses of the cupula in both the anterior and posterior SCCs consistently remained lower than those observed in the horizontal SCCs across all measured head positions. The occurrence of these numerical results was attributed to the consistent maintenance of mutual symmetry in the bilateral SCCs with respect to the mid-sagittal plane containing the axis of rotation. This symmetry affected the distribution of endolymph pressure, resulting in biomechanical responses of the cupula in each pair of symmetrical SCCs exhibiting same tendencies under different forward-leaning angles of the head. These results provided a reliable numerical basis for future research to relieve vestibular diseases induced by spatial orientation of SCCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- School of Medical Imaging, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Shili Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yue Li
- School of Medical Imaging, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Lijie Xiao
- Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Xuzhou Mining Group, Xuzhou, China
| | - Shen Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Analysis for Industrial Equipment, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Xiang Wu
- School of Medical Imaging, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Shuang Shen
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Hang Xu
- School of Medical Imaging, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
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Arán-Tapia I, Soto-Varela A, Pérez-Muñuzuri V, Santos-Pérez S, Arán I, Muñuzuri AP. Numerical simulations to determine the stimulation of the crista ampullaris during the Head Impulse Test. Comput Biol Med 2023; 163:107225. [PMID: 37437361 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
The Head Impulse Test, the most widely accept test to assess the vestibular function, comprises rotations of the head based on idealized orientations of the semicircular canals, instead of their individual arrangement specific for each patient. In this study, we show how computational modelling can help personalize the diagnosis of vestibular diseases. Based on a micro-computed tomography reconstruction of the human membranous labyrinth and their simulation using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Fluid-Solid Interaction techniques, we evaluated the stimulus experienced by the six cristae ampullaris under different rotational conditions mimicking the Head Impulse Test. The results show that the maximum stimulation of the crista ampullaris occurs for directions of rotation that are more aligned with the orientation of the cupulae (average deviation from alignment of 4.7°, 9.8°, and 19.4° for the horizontal, posterior, and superior maxima, respectively) than with the planes of the semicircular canals (average deviation from alignment of 32.4°, 70.5°, and 67.8° for the horizontal, posterior, and superior maxima, respectively). A plausible explanation is that when rotations are applied with respect to the center of the head, the inertial forces acting directly over the cupula become dominant over the endolymphatic fluid forces generated in the semicircular canals. Our results indicate that it is necessary to consider cupulae orientation to ensure optimal conditions for testing the vestibular function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Arán-Tapia
- Group of Non-Linear Physics, Campus Sur, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Galician Center for Mathematical Research and Technology (CITMAga), Santiago de Compostela, Spain; CRETUS Institute, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Andrés Soto-Varela
- Division of Neurotology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Department of Surgery and Medical-Surgical Specialities, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Vicente Pérez-Muñuzuri
- Group of Non-Linear Physics, Campus Sur, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain; CRETUS Institute, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Sofía Santos-Pérez
- Division of Neurotology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Department of Surgery and Medical-Surgical Specialities, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Ismael Arán
- Otoneurology Unit of the Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Pontevedra, Spain
| | - Alberto P Muñuzuri
- Group of Non-Linear Physics, Campus Sur, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Galician Center for Mathematical Research and Technology (CITMAga), Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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Goyens J, Baeckens S, Smith ESJ, Pozzi J, Mason MJ. Parallel evolution of semicircular canal form and sensitivity in subterranean mammals. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2022; 208:627-640. [PMID: 36251041 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-022-01578-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate vestibular system is crucial for balance and navigation, and the evolution of its form and function in relation to species' lifestyle and mode of locomotion has been the focus of considerable recent study. Most research, however, has concentrated on aboveground mammals, with much less published on subterranean fauna. Here, we explored variation in anatomy and sensitivity of the semicircular canals among 91 mammal species, including both subterranean and non-subterranean representatives. Quantitative phylogenetically informed analyses showed significant widening of the canals relative to radius of curvature in subterranean species. A relative canal width above 0.166 indicates with 95% certainty that a species is subterranean. Fluid-structure interaction modelling predicted that canal widening leads to a substantial increase in canal sensitivity; a reasonably good estimation of the absolute sensitivity is possible based on the absolute internal canal width alone. In addition, phylogenetic comparative modelling and functional landscape exploration revealed repeated independent evolution of increased relative canal width and anterior canal sensitivity associated with the transition to a subterranean lifestyle, providing evidence of parallel adaptation. Our results suggest that living in dark, subterranean tunnels requires good balance and/or navigation skills which may be facilitated by more sensitive semicircular canals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Goyens
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Simon Baeckens
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Lab, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Jasmine Pozzi
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Matthew J Mason
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Jiang Y, Qin Y, Lu S, Wang Z, Li Q, Bian Y. Outcomes of the bionic semicircular canals support the "density hypothesis" and "circular hypothesis". THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2022; 93:034105. [PMID: 35365011 DOI: 10.1063/5.0061752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
To date, there are three main hypotheses explaining why the human semicircular canals (HSCCs) cannot sense linear accelerations. To further study this issue, we designed a bionic ampulla (BA) instrumented with a symmetrical metal core polyvinylidene fluoride fiber as a bionic sensor, which imitates the structure and function of the human ampulla. The BA was confirmed to have a good sensing ability in experiments with a straight tube. Additionally, we designed a bionic semicircular canal model, a blocking model, and a square model. We compared the perception performance of these three models to test the "density hypothesis," the "closed loop hypothesis," and the "circular hypothesis." The outcomes of these experiments verified the "density hypothesis" and "circular hypothesis," but did not support the "closed loop hypothesis," shedding light on why the HSCC is sensitive to angular acceleration, but not to linear acceleration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yani Jiang
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225000, China
| | - Yongbin Qin
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225000, China
| | - Shien Lu
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225000, China
| | - Zhi Wang
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225000, China
| | - Qiang Li
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225000, China
| | - Yixiang Bian
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225000, China
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Wu X, Yu S, Shen S, Liu W. Quantitative analysis of the biomechanical response of semicircular canals and nystagmus under different head positions. Hear Res 2021; 407:108282. [PMID: 34130038 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The semicircular canals (SCCs) in the vestibular system can sense angular motion of the head, which performs a crucial role in maintaining the human's sense of balance. The different spatial orientations of the head affect the response of human SCCs to rotational movement. In this study, we combined the numerical model of bilateral human SCCs with vestibulo-ocular reflex experiments, and quantitatively investigated the responses of SCCs to constant angular acceleration when the head was in different left-leaning positions, including the head tilted 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 70°, 80°, and 90° to the left. The results showed that the vertical nystagmus slow-phase velocity (SPV) and the corresponding maximal cupula shear strain at the crista surface rose with an increase in the left-leaning angle of the head, reached a maximum at the position of the head tilted approximately 70° to the left, and then decreased gradually. Both the horizontal nystagmus SPV and the corresponding maximal cupula shear strain at the crista surface were the largest under the position of the head tilted 0° to the left, and decreased gradually as the left-leaning angle of the head increased. The numerical results of cupula shear strain at the crista surface in bilateral SCCs can quantitatively explain the combined effects of each SCC's excitation or inhibition on volunteers' nystagmus SPV under different head positions. In addition, a fluid-structure interaction investigation revealed that different left-leaning head positions changed the endolymphatic pressure gradient distribution in SCCs, which determined the transcupular pressure, cupula shear strain at the crista surface, and nystagmus SPV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Wu
- School of Information and Communication Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Shen Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Analysis for Industrial Equipment, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Shuang Shen
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China
| | - Wenlong Liu
- School of Information and Communication Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
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