Vestibular contributions to high-level sensorimotor functions

Abstract

The vestibular system, which detects motion and orientation of the head in space, is known to be important in controlling gaze to stabilize vision, to ensure postural stability and to provide our sense of self-motion. While the brain's computations underlying these functions are extensively studied, the role of the vestibular system in higher level sensorimotor functions is less clear. This review covers new research on the vestibular influence on perceptual judgments, motor decisions, and the ability to learn multiple motor actions. Guided by concepts such as optimization, inference, estimation and control, we focus on how the brain determines causal relationships between memorized and visual representations in the updating of visual space, and how vestibular, visual and efferent motor information are integrated in the estimation of body motion. We also discuss evidence that these computations involve multiple coordinate representations, some of which can be probed in parietal cortex using neuronal oscillations derived from EEG. In addition, we describe work on decision making during self-motion, showing a clear modulation of bottom-up acceleration signals on decisions in the saccadic system. Finally, we consider the importance of vestibular signals as contextual cues in motor learning and recall. Taken together, these results emphasize the impact of vestibular information on high-level sensorimotor functions, and identify future directions for theoretical, behavioral, and neurophysiological investigations.

Balance, gait, and navigation performance are related to physical exercise in blind and visually impaired children and adolescents

“…Vision plays a pivotal role in orientation and wayfinding, too. To understand the spatial properties of an environment and to continuously update one's own position within the environment, visual (e.g., optic flow and visual landmarks), auditory, vestibular, proprioceptive, and motor signals are integrated to update mental spatial representations (Loomis et al 1993(Loomis et al , 2001Medendorp and Selen 2017;Schinazi et al 2016). Navigation and wayfinding without vision is a particular challenge because precise spatial information from distal cues are not assessable (Loomis et al 1993;Schinazi et al 2016).…”

Vestibular pathology and spatial working memory

“…For this reason, emerging research suggests the vestibular system can be considered as a potential window for exploring brain function beyond that of maintenance of balance, and into areas of cognitive, affective and psychiatric symptomology 7 . Furthermore, the links between vestibular dysfunction and cognitive performance can suggest areas of future research and application [7][8][9] . Damage to the vestibular system specifically leads to cognitive deficits in spatial learning and memory, navigation, mental rotation and mental representation of three-dimensional space, which are not necessar-ily related to any particular episode of vertigo or dizziness, and therefore may occur even in patients who are otherwise well compensated.…”

“…Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been shown to be a part of the SWM network, but its specific functional role remains unknown 14 . It has been speculated that stimulating the vestibular system during balance training may induce changes of the hippocampus and parietal cortex possibly via direct pathways between the vestibular system and these brain regions [7][8][9][15][16][17][18][19][20] and chronically dizzy patients seem to profit from combining training with medication or brain stimulation. Neither the side of the vestibular lesion nor the duration of disease seem to influence cognitive performance, but the degree of vestibular dysfunction significantly correlates with cognitive deficit.…”

Relationships Between Accuracy in Predicting Direction of Gravitational Vertical and Academic Performance and Physical Fitness in Schoolchildren

“…Specifically, the saccule otolith is the primary sensory apparatus for detecting linear accelerations and head tilts in the vertical plane, with the signal disambiguated by integration of input from the posterior semi-circular canal detecting angular acceleration in the frontal plane. These integrated signals are then combined with roll plane proprioceptive inputs from the cervical spine enabling the head to be isolated as the segment exploited to form the SVV-based head stabilized in space strategy ( Assaiante and Amblard, 1993 ; Tarnutzer et al, 2009 ; Schuler et al, 2010 ; Clemens et al, 2011 ; Medendorp and Selen, 2017 ). The central nervous system, using probabilistic methods, integrates and re-weights these multi-sensory inputs from multiple sources to formulate the most reliable spatial frame of reference and thereby align the body to gravitational vertical ( Carver et al, 2006 ).…”