Research
The research initiatives and activities of PROVIDE are structured across three complementary work packages (WPs), each targeting specific challenges in the understanding, management, and treatment of vestibular loss. These work packages collectively aim to advance patient-centered care for vestibular loss by integrating various methodologies and expertise across disciplines and bridging scientific research with innovative solutions. These research-related work packages are part of training (WP 1), impact (WP 5), and management (WP 6) initiatives.
Work Packages
This WP aims to unravel the individual underlying causes of vestibular loss. It combines new in vivo and in vitro methods, including patient biopsy samples, validated animal models, and inner ear organoids, to investigate the pathophysiology underlying vestibular loss. The objective is to identify the factors contributing to vestibular loss and use this information to innovate new management tools.
This WP concentrates on better capturing and understanding the diverse and individualized symptoms of vestibular loss. It integrates advances in home-based and digital symptom capture and objective clinical and biological markers collection, supplemented by algorithm-guided interpretation. The aim is to empower patients and healthcare providers with precise tools for symptom characterization, enhancing personalization in care.
This WP is dedicated to developing treatments that go beyond symptom management and aim to restore vestibular function. It brings existing technologies like haptic biofeedback, neuromodulation, and vestibular implant stimulation into real-world settings to meet daily life challenges. The objective is to offer interventions that restore function based on individual needs, significantly advancing the current state of VL treatment.