Vestibular stimulation after head injury: effect on reaction times and motor speech parameters

Earlier studies by other authors indicate that vestibular stimulation may improve attention and dysarthria in head injured patients. In the present study of five severely head injured patients and five controls, the effect of vestibular stimulation on reaction times (reflecting attention) and some motor speech parameters (reflecting dysarthria) was investigated. After eight weeks with regular stimulation, it was concluded that reaction time changes were individual and consistent for a given subject. Only occasionally were they shortened after stimulation. However, reaction time was lengthened in three cases, prohibiting further stimulation in one case. Motion sickness was prohibitive in a second case. However, after-stimulation increase of phonation time and/or vital capacity was found in one patient and four controls. Oral diadochokinetic rates were slowed in several cases. Collectively, when stimulation induced changes of reaction times or motor speech parameters, the changes were more pronounced in patients than in controls.