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Equilibrium and Balance

Equilibrium and Balance

The inner ear assumes dual functionalities of auditory perception and equilibrium maintenance. The vestibule is the organ responsible for balance. This organ contains mechanoreceptors, specifically hair cells, endowed with stereocilia, which aid in deciphering information regarding the position and motion of our heads. Two intrinsic components, the utricle and saccule, help perceive head position, while the semicircular canals track head movement. Neurological messages initiated in the...

The Vestibular System

The Vestibular System

The vestibular system is a set of inner ear structures that provide a sense of balance and spatial orientation. This system is comprised of structures within the labyrinth of the inner ear, including the cochlea and two otolith organs—the utricle and saccule. The labyrinth also contains three semicircular canals—superior, posterior, and horizontal—that are oriented on different planes.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Testing of all Six Semicircular Canals with Video Head Impulse Test Systems

Testing of all Six Semicircular Canals with Video Head Impulse Test Systems

Published on: April 18, 2019

Impulsive testing of semicircular canal function.

G Michael Halmagyi¹, Konrad P Weber, Swee T Aw

¹Neurology Department, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, Sydney, NSW, Australia. michael@icn.usyd.edu.au <michael@icn.usyd.edu.au>

Progress in Brain Research

|August 23, 2008

Summary

Acute vestibular loss causes permanent damage to the angular vestibulo-ocular reflex (aVOR). This impairment, identified by head impulse testing, results from inhibitory saturation within the vestibular system.

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Three Dimensional Vestibular Ocular Reflex Testing Using a Six Degrees of Freedom Motion Platform

Three Dimensional Vestibular Ocular Reflex Testing Using a Six Degrees of Freedom Motion Platform

Published on: May 23, 2013

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Last Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Testing of all Six Semicircular Canals with Video Head Impulse Test Systems

Testing of all Six Semicircular Canals with Video Head Impulse Test Systems

Published on: April 18, 2019

Three Dimensional Vestibular Ocular Reflex Testing Using a Six Degrees of Freedom Motion Platform

Three Dimensional Vestibular Ocular Reflex Testing Using a Six Degrees of Freedom Motion Platform

Published on: May 23, 2013

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Ophthalmology
Vestibular System Research

Background:

Acute vestibular loss in humans and animals leads to significant impairment of the angular vestibulo-ocular reflex (aVOR).
The aVOR stabilizes gaze during head movements, crucial for clear vision.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the underlying mechanisms of permanent angular vestibulo-ocular reflex impairment following acute vestibular loss.
To evaluate the clinical utility of head impulse testing in diagnosing vestibular dysfunction.

Main Methods:

Analysis of eye-movement responses during rapid horizontal head impulses in subjects with acute vestibular loss.
Assessment of vestibular nerve and vestibular nucleus afferent activity during high-acceleration stimulation.

Main Results:

Severe and permanent impairment of the angular vestibulo-ocular reflex was observed after acute vestibular loss.
Evidence suggests inhibitory saturation of the ipsilesional vestibular nerve and vestibular nucleus afferents as the primary cause.
High-acceleration, off-direction stimulation of the remaining semicircular canal appears to trigger this saturation.

Conclusions:

Head impulse testing is a clinically valuable and reliable method for detecting severe unilateral and bilateral semicircular canal dysfunction.
Understanding the inhibitory saturation mechanism provides insight into vestibular reflex deficits after injury.