Meniere’s disease (MD) is a condition of the inner ear with symptoms affecting both vestibular and hearing functions. Some patients with MD experience vestibular drop attacks (VDAs), which are violent falls caused by spurious vestibular signals from the utricle and/or saccule. Recent surgical work has shown that patients who experience VDAs also show disrupted utricular otolithic membranes. The objective of this study is to determine if otolithic membrane damage alone is sufficient to induce spurious vestibular signals, thus potentially eliciting VDAs and the vestibular dysfunction seen in patients with MD. We use a previously developed numerical model to describe the nonlinear dynamics of an array of active, elastically coupled hair cells. We then reduce the coupling strength of a selected region of the membrane to model the effects of tissue damage. As we reduce the coupling strength, we observe large and abrupt spikes in hair bundle position. As bundle displacements from the equilibrium position have been shown to lead to depolarization of the hair-cell soma and hence trigger neural activity, this spontaneous activity could elicit false detection of a vestibular signal. The results of this numerical model suggest that otolithic membrane damage alone may be sufficient to induce VDAs and the vestibular dysfunction seen in patients with MD. Future experimental work is needed to confirm these results in vitro.

美尼尔氏病 (MD) 是一种内耳疾病，其症状会影响前庭和听力功能。一些患有 MD 的患者会经历前庭跌落发作 (VDA)，这是由椭圆囊和/或球囊发出的虚假前庭信号引起的剧烈跌倒。最近的手术工作表明，经历过 VDA 的患者也表现出囊状耳石膜受损。本研究的目的是确定单独的耳石膜损伤是否足以诱发虚假前庭信号，从而可能引发 MD 患者出现的 VDA 和前庭功能障碍。我们使用以前开发的数值模型来描述一组活动的、弹性耦合的毛细胞的非线性动力学。然后，我们降低膜选定区域的耦合强度，以模拟组织损伤的影响。当我们降低耦合强度时，我们观察到发束位置出现大而突然的尖峰。由于平衡位置的束位移已被证明会导致毛细胞胞体去极化并因此触发神经活动，因此这种自发活动可能引起前庭信号的错误检测。该数值模型的结果表明，单独的耳石膜损伤可能足以诱发 VDA 和 MD 患者出现的前庭功能障碍。未来的实验工作需要在体外​​证实这些结果。由于平衡位置的束位移已被证明会导致毛细胞胞体去极化并因此触发神经活动，因此这种自发活动可能引起前庭信号的错误检测。该数值模型的结果表明，单独的耳石膜损伤可能足以诱发 VDA 和 MD 患者出现的前庭功能障碍。未来的实验工作需要在体外​​证实这些结果。由于平衡位置的束位移已被证明会导致毛细胞胞体去极化并因此触发神经活动，因此这种自发活动可能引起前庭信号的错误检测。该数值模型的结果表明，单独的耳石膜损伤可能足以诱发 VDA 和 MD 患者出现的前庭功能障碍。未来的实验工作需要在体外​​证实这些结果。