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The Vestibular System

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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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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...

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Auditory Perception

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Measuring the Influence of Magnetic Vestibular Stimulation on Nystagmus, Self-Motion Perception, and Cognitive Performance in a 7T MRT

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Published on: March 3, 2023

Vestibular stimulation modifies the body schema.

Christophe Lopez¹, Helene-Marianne Schreyer, Nora Preuss

¹Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. christophe.lopez@univ-amu.fr

Neuropsychologia

|May 8, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The vestibular system influences our sense of body size. Vestibular stimulation temporarily alters body schema, affecting hand size perception and contributing to bodily cognition.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Sensory Integration

Background:

Body representations are dynamic, influenced by sensory input.
Clinical data suggest vestibular system involvement in body schema, but psychophysical evidence is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the psychophysical contribution of vestibular signals to body representation.
To determine if vestibular stimulation alters the perception of body size.

Main Methods:

Experiment 1: Tactile distance comparison (hand vs. forehead) during caloric vestibular stimulation.
Experiment 2: Landmark localization on the hand during caloric vestibular stimulation.

Main Results:

Tactile object length judged longer on the hand during vestibular stimulation.
Perceived hand length and width increased with vestibular stimulation.
Body schema adjusts to vestibular input, modifying internal hand size representation.

Conclusions:

Vestibular signals dynamically adjust body schema and hand size perception.
Vestibular functions extend beyond motor control to include bodily cognition.
Findings support integrating vestibular input into models of body representation and self-consciousness.