Definition
Vestibular End Organ
The vestibular end organ is located in the inner ear next to the cochlear of the auditory system. The end organ comprises two components. The three semicircular canals, which are roughly orthogonal, sense rotational head movement while the two otolith organs (utriculus and sacculus), which are also orthogonal, sense linear head acceleration.
Processing
Signals from the vestibular end organ carry head velocity and acceleration information that is modified at the level of the brainstem to control the eye movements that stabilize vision when the head moves (vestibuloocular reflex) and to control the muscles that control posture and balance (vestibulospinal reflexes).
Detailed Description
Sensory System
The vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) is mediated by the six semicircular canals and four otolith organs (horizontal, anterior and posterior canals, and the utricle and saccule from both inner ears). The canals are arranged in such a way that each canal on the...
References
Babalian AL, Vidal PP (2000) Floccular modulation of vestibuloocular pathways and cerebellum-related plasticity: An in vitro whole brain study. J Neurophysiol 84:2514–2528
Baird RA, Desmadryl G, Fernandez C, Goldberg JM (1988) The vestibular nerve of the chinchilla. II. Relation between afferent response properties and peripheral innervation patterns in the semicircular canals. J Neurophysiol 60:182–203
Blazquez PM, Hirata Y, Highstein SM (2006) Chronic changes in inputs to dorsal Y neurons accompany VOR motor learning. J Neurophysiol 95:1812–1825
Clendaniel RA, Lasker DM, Minor LB (2001) Horizontal vestibuloocular reflex evoked by high-acceleration rotations in the squirrel monkey. IV. Responses after spectacle-induced adaptation. J Neurophysiol 86:1594–1611
Dohlman GF (1971) The attachment of the cupulae, otolith and tectorial membranes to the sensory cell areas. Acta Otolaryngol 71:89–105
Galiana HL, Green AM (1998) Vestibular adaptation: how models can affect data interpretations. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 119:231–243
Goldberg JM, Fernández C (1980) Efferent vestibular system in the squirrel monkey: anatomical location and influence on afferent activity. J Neurophysiol 43:986–1025
Goldberg JM, Smith CE, Fernandez C (1984) Relation between discharge regularity and responses to externally applied galvanic currents in vestibular nerve afferents of the squirrel monkey. J Neurophysiol 51:1236–1256
Hullar TE, Minor LB (1999) High-frequency dynamics of regularly discharging canal afferents provide a linear signal for angular vestibuloocular reflexes. J Neurophysiol 82:2000–2005
Landolt JP, Correia MJ, Young ER, Cardin RP, Sweet RC (1975) A scanning electron microscopic study of the morphology and geometry of neural surfaces and structures associated with the vestibular apparatus of the pigeon. J Comp Neurol 159:257–287
Lasker DM, Backous DD, Lysakowski A, Davis GL, Minor LB (1999) Horizontal vestibuloocular reflex evoked by high-acceleration rotations in the squirrel monkey. II. Responses after canal plugging. J Neurophysiol 82:1271–1285
Lasker DM, Ramat S, Carey JP, Minor LB (2002) Vergence-mediated modulation of the human horizontal angular VOR provides evidence of pathway-specific changes in VOR dynamics. Ann N Y Acad Sci 956:324–337
Lim DJ (1973) Ultrastructure of the otolithic membrane and the cupula. A scanning electron microscopic observation. Adv Otorhinolaryngol 19:35–49
Lindeman HH (1969) Regional differences in sensitivity of the vestibular sensory epithelia to ototoxic antibiotics. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 67:177–189
Lisberger SG (1994) Neural basis for motor learning in the vestibulo-ocular reflex of primates. III Computational and behavioral analysis of the sites of learning. J Neurophysiol 72:974–999
Lisberger SG, Fuchs AF (1978) Role of primate flocculus during rapid behavioral modification of vestibuloocular reflex. I. Purkinje cell activity during visually guided horizontal smooth-pursuit eye movements and passive head rotation. J Neurophysiol 41:733–763
Lisberger SG, Pavelko TA (1986) Vestibular signals carried by pathways subserving plasticity of the vestibulo-ocular reflex in monkeys. J Neurosci 6:346–354
Lisberger SG, Pavelko TA, Broussard DM (1994a) Neural basis for motor learning in the vestibuloocular reflex of primates. I. Changes in the responses of brain stem neurons. J Neurophysiol 72:928–953
Lisberger SG, Pavelko TA, Bronte-Stewart HM, Stone LS (1994b) Neural basis for motor learning in the vestibuloocular reflex of primates. II. Changes in the responses of horizontal gaze velocity Purkinje cells in the cerebellar flocculus and ventral paraflocculus. J Neurophysiol 72:954–973
Migliaccio AA, Minor LB, Carey JP (2004) Vergence-mediated modulation of the human horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex is eliminated by a partial peripheral gentamicin lesion. Exp Brain Res 159:92–98
Migliaccio AA, Minor LB, Carey JP (2008) Vergence-mediated modulation of the human angular vestibulo-ocular reflex is unaffected by canal plugging. Exp Brain Res 186:581–587
Minor LB, Lasker DM, Backous DD, Hullar TE (1999) Horizontal vestibuloocular reflex evoked by high-acceleration rotations in the squirrel monkey. I. Normal responses. J Neurophysiol 82:1254–1270
Snyder LH, King WM (1996) Behavior and physiology of the macaque vestibulo-ocular reflex response to sudden off-axis rotation: computing eye translation. Brain Res Bull 40:293–301
Spoendlin H (1966) On the ototoxicity of streptomycin. Pract Otorhinolaryngol (Basel) 28:305–322
Tsuji K, Velazquez-Villasenor L, Rauch SD, Glynn RJ, Wall C 3rd, Merchant SN (2000) Temporal bone studies of the human peripheral vestibular system. Aminoglycoside ototoxicity. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol Suppl 181:20–25
Wersall J (1956) Studies on the structure and innervation of the sensory epithelium of the cristae ampulares in the guinea pig; a light and electron microscopic investigation. Acta Otolaryngol Suppl 126:1–85
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this entry
Cite this entry
Migliaccio, A. (2014). Peripheral Vestibular Signal Processing. In: Jaeger, D., Jung, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_5-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_5-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7320-6
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences