Vestibular Perception: From Bench to Bedside

Abstract

Classic experiments over several decades examined the physiology and pathophysiology of a critical brainstem function called vestibulo-ocular reflex. These studies provided a wealth of information on how the brain, particularly the cerebellum and brainstem, computes the representation of our own motion in order to generate compensatory movements. Contemporary literature over last two decades started focusing on an equally important aspects of vestibular function – the motion perception and spatial orientation. From both physiological and computational standpoints, these studies further extended the application of cerebellar principles (for the control of vestibulo-ocular reflex) to thalamic and cortical function, emphasising on cerebello-cerebral connections. This chapter provides a concise review of the physiology and pathophysiology of vestibular perception and discusses seminal work from our laboratories.