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Diagnosis and Treatment of Vestibular Disorders pp 17–24Cite as

Mechanism of Compensation After Unilateral Loss

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Abstract

A variety of etiologies are responsible for loss of vestibular function. These include aging, head trauma, ototoxic drugs, infection, inflammation, or tumors. Unilateral peripheral vestibular weakness affects a patient’s posture, oculomotor control, spatial perception, and navigation. Patients experience postural asymmetry and gait problems related to impaired vestibulospinal reflex, visual disturbances as a result of impaired vestibular-ocular reflex, and internal spatial disorientation. Most patients recover functionally over weeks and months through a process called vestibular compensation. In unilateral peripheral vestibular loss, vestibular compensation engages neuronal and behavioral plasticity in the central nervous system to overcome the loss of unilateral vestibular input. The time course and exact mechanism of vestibular recovery depend on the etiology of vestibular loss and cannot be generalized for all patients. However, knowledge of several processes of vestibular compensation can guide the treatment and rehabilitation for unilateral vestibular loss.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurotology, House Clinic, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Si Chen & Eric Wilkinson

Authors
  1. Si Chen
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  2. Eric Wilkinson
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Correspondence to Eric Wilkinson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurotology, Providence Hospital, Michigan Ear Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, USA

    Seilesh Babu

  2. Department of Neurotology, Providence Hospital, Michigan Ear Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, USA

    Christopher A. Schutt

  3. Department of Neurotology, Providence Hospital, Michigan Ear Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, USA

    Dennis I. Bojrab

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Chen, S., Wilkinson, E. (2019). Mechanism of Compensation After Unilateral Loss. In: Babu, S., Schutt, C., Bojrab, D. (eds) Diagnosis and Treatment of Vestibular Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97858-1_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97858-1_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-97857-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-97858-1

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