# Modulation of the Vestibular System Using Prosthetic Direct Current Stimulation

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $537,676

## Abstract

Project Summary
 The central goal of this project is to advance the therapeutic application and the development of an
exciting novel neuroprosthetic technology, Safe Direct Current Stimulation (SDCS). Direct current (DC)
compared to biphasic charge balanced pulses normally used by neural prostheses to interface to the nervous
system, can more naturally control neural activity. Unlike biphasic current pulses used to excite neurons, DC can
excite, inhibit, and modulate sensitivity of neurons. However using DC for implantable prosthetic applications
has not been possible due to the DC’s inherent violation of the charge injection safety constraints at the metal
electrode interfaces. Safe DC overcomes these constraints and opens a new avenue for research into
exciting possibilities of using DC to interface to the nervous system.
 We will optimize the use of SDCS to improve the performance of the vestibular prosthetic for balance
disorders. This type of neural implant is designed to deliver the sensation of head motion directly to the vestibular
nerve for those suffering from bilateral vestibular dysfunction. We obtained preliminary data in a chinchilla animal
model showing that using DC in contrast to the more conventional pulsatile stimulation can dramatically increase
the range of head velocities that can be encoded by the device. Here we propose to consider biological safety
of long-duration SDCS prosthetic stimulation, and advance the technology SDCS toward primate implantation.
 Aim 1) Conduct acute behavioral studies in nonhuman primates.
 Aim 2) Determine whether prolonged DC delivery from the SDCS causes physiologic or histologic signs
of damage in chinchillas.
 Aim 3) Develop a three channel SDCS, lead, and DCtubes designed for future primate chronic vestibular
implant studies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10121117
- **Project number:** 1R01DC018300-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Charles C Della Santina
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $537,676
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-03-01 → 2026-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10121117

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10121117, Modulation of the Vestibular System Using Prosthetic Direct Current Stimulation (1R01DC018300-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10121117. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*