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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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 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

The video Head Impulse Test (vHIT) detects vertical semicircular canal dysfunction.

Hamish Gavin Macdougall¹, Leigh Andrew McGarvie, Gabor Michael Halmagyi

¹Vestibular Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

|May 1, 2013

Summary

Video head impulse testing (vHIT) accurately detects vertical semicircular canal dysfunction, matching scleral search coil results. This non-invasive method offers a practical clinical solution for vestibular assessment.

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Assessment of Static Graviceptive Perception in the Roll-Plane using the Subjective Visual Vertical Paradigm

Assessment of Static Graviceptive Perception in the Roll-Plane using the Subjective Visual Vertical Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2020

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Last Updated: May 11, 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

Assessment of Static Graviceptive Perception in the Roll-Plane using the Subjective Visual Vertical Paradigm

Assessment of Static Graviceptive Perception in the Roll-Plane using the Subjective Visual Vertical Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2020

Area of Science:

Vestibular neurophysiology
Oculomotor system
Diagnostic audiology

Background:

The video head impulse test (vHIT) is established for horizontal semicircular canal assessment.
Scleral search coils were previously the sole validated method for measuring vertical canal head impulses.
A need existed to validate vHIT for vertical semicircular canal function assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the efficacy of vHIT in detecting vertical semicircular canal dysfunction.
To compare vHIT measurements of vertical canal function against gold-standard scleral search coil recordings.

Main Methods:

Patients underwent manual head rotations in the plane of the anterior and posterior semicircular canals (LARP and RALP).
Eye movements were simultaneously recorded using 2D vHIT (250 Hz) and 3D scleral search coils (1000 Hz).
Data from twelve patients with known semicircular canal dysfunction and seven normal subjects were analyzed.

Main Results:

vHIT and scleral search coil recordings demonstrated high comparability for vertical canal plane measurements.
Mean VOR gain differences were minimal (LARP: 0.05, RALP: -0.04), with high coefficients of determination (R²=0.98 for both planes).
Both methods showed similar patterns of corrective saccades, indicating comparable detection of vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) responses.

Conclusions:

vHIT provides accurate detection of individual vertical semicircular canal dysfunction, equivalent to scleral search coils.
vHIT is a non-invasive, user-friendly, and clinically practical alternative for assessing vertical semicircular canal function.