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Three Dimensional Vestibular Ocular Reflex Testing Using a Six Degrees of Freedom Motion Platform
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Published on: May 23, 2013

The vestibulo-auricular reflex.

Daniel J Tollin1, Janet L Ruhland, Tom C T Yin

  • 1Department of Physiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Daniel.Tollin@UCHSC.edu

Journal of Neurophysiology
|January 9, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Scientists discovered a new reflex in cats called the vestibulo-auricular reflex (VAR). This reflex causes ears to move and stabilize sound perception during head movements, similar to how eyes stabilize vision.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Auditory System
  • Vestibular System

Background:

  • Mammalian orienting responses to sound involve gaze shifts, including head and eye movements.
  • Animals with mobile pinnae also exhibit ear movements during auditory attention.
  • The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) stabilizes vision during head movements via compensatory eye rotations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize a previously unobserved compensatory movement of the pinnae in cats during auditory-driven gaze shifts.
  • To investigate the underlying mechanisms and potential function of this ear movement.

Main Methods:

  • Observation and kinematic analysis of cat head and pinnae movements during responses to auditory stimuli.
  • Control experiments to exclude efference copy and acoustic tracking as causes of the observed ear movements.

Main Results:

  • A novel, short-latency, goal-directed compensatory movement of the pinnae was identified.
  • These ear movements counter-rotated with head motion, maintaining a fixed spatial position.
  • The kinematic characteristics were similar to the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), leading to the naming of the vestibulo-auricular reflex (VAR).

Conclusions:

  • The vestibulo-auricular reflex (VAR) is a newly identified compensatory mechanism for ear movements in mammals.
  • VAR likely functions to stabilize the auditory world during head motion, analogous to the VOR's role in vision.
  • This reflex is distinct from efference copy and acoustic tracking mechanisms.