[Vestibular compensation: a privileged model for the study on plasticity of central nervous system]

Vestibular compensation is now considered as a privileged model for the study of the underlying mechanisms of restitution and substitution of functions after nervous system lesions. This model is ubiquitously suited for the research of plasticity of central nervous system and recuperation of functions. This review focuses on the latest progress of the research on vestibular compensation in the aspects of electrophysiology, biochemistry and molecular neurobiology as well as the expression of growth-associated protein (GAP-43), and the pharmacological effects of extract of Ginkgo biloba(EGb 761) during the course of vestibular compensation are specially discussed.