Dr. Raymond van den Berg ENT surgeon Every day, we walk around, we sit down, we lay down, we turn our heads to the left and to the right. Without giving it much thought, we are constantly moving — but even the smallest movements we make are the result of complex processes in our brains. We take it for granted that our vestibular system and other sense organs are always working to make sure we retain our balance and the world we perceive is ‘stable’. But imagine how different our lives would be if we did not have these systems. For people with vestibular disorders, this is everyday reality. Maastricht UMC+ is an international centre of expertise in this area, with a specialised care pathway and dedicated research facilities. The vestibular system is one of the most enigmatic sense organs of the human body. We know very little about the fundamental workings of this tiny organ in our inner ears. As with our other sense organs, such as our eyes or ears, the vestibular system is closely connected to the brain, because the information it receives needs to be processed to allow us to figure out how we are oriented in space. In Meniere’s disease, for example, one or both of the vestibular systems might stop functioning, which leads to episodes of dizziness, amongst other things. There is no cure for this disease, but together with the University of Geneva, the team here at Maastricht UMC+ recently developed and implanted the world’s first artificial vestibular system to treat its symptoms. We have entered into partnerships with various centres across Europe to exchange knowledge. Through this network, we hope to find out more about the vestibular system and fine-tune our artificial organ to the needs of our patients. We are trying to answer questions such as who is eligible for an implant, how we can configure the implant more accurately and how best to assess its effect. In Maastricht, we have access to advanced technologies to assist us in these efforts. Together with movement scientists, we can analyse movements and patterns using the interactive CAREN system. As part of this, we use virtual reality and specially developed balance chairs. Of course, we will never be able to simulate nature exactly, but we can come close enough for patients to take a stable world for granted. On the job
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