Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

The Vestibular System01:29

The Vestibular System

37.9K
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.
37.9K
Indirect Motor Pathways01:22

Indirect Motor Pathways

3.4K
The indirect motor or extrapyramidal pathways originate in the brainstem, the lower portion of the brain that connects it to the spinal cord. They consist of several distinct tracts, each with specialized functions. The four main tracts of the indirect motor pathways are the vestibulospinal tract, the reticulospinal tract, the tectospinal tract, and the rubrospinal tract.
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...
3.4K
Equilibrium and Balance01:15

Equilibrium and Balance

6.1K
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...
6.1K
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

3.2K
Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the...
3.2K
Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways01:29

Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways

9.9K
Somatic sensory or somatosensory pathways refer to the neural pathways that carry information related to touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints to the brain. These pathways involve several stages of processing and integration of sensory information.
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
9.9K
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

8.0K
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
8.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Zn<sub>3-<i>x</i></sub>H<sub>2<i>x</i></sub>(OH)<sub>2</sub>(MoO<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>·H<sub>2</sub>O: a crystallographically accurate Φ<sub><i>y</i></sub>-type structure of "Zn<sub>5</sub>Mo<sub>2</sub>O<sub>11</sub>·5H<sub>2</sub>O".

Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)·2026
Same author

Circadian free-running and temporal organization during 40 days of human group isolation in a cave without external time cues.

Chronobiology international·2026
Same author

Deep brain reconditioning stimulation suppresses tinnitus in a rat model.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Circadian modulation of core temperature and thermoregulatory strain during live-fire compartment exposure in firefighters.

Journal of thermal biology·2026
Same author

The impact of balance exercise on brain age and brain morphometry: insights from MRI analysis.

Aging clinical and experimental research·2026
Same author

Optimizing noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation (nGVS) for postural control: methodological considerations when individualizing the signal for people with bilateral vestibulopathy.

Frontiers in neurology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Using Unidirectional Rotations to Improve Vestibular System Asymmetry in Patients with Vestibular Dysfunction
05:02

Using Unidirectional Rotations to Improve Vestibular System Asymmetry in Patients with Vestibular Dysfunction

Published on: August 30, 2019

6.9K

Vestibular pathways involved in cognition.

Martin Hitier1, Stephane Besnard2, Paul F Smith3

  • 1Inserm, U 1075 COMETE Caen, France ; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Brain Health Research Center, University of Otago Dunedin, New Zealand ; Department of Anatomy, UNICAEN Caen, France ; Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, CHU de Caen Caen, France.

Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience
|August 8, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The vestibular system significantly impacts cognition, including memory and spatial navigation. Understanding its pathways to the brain is crucial for treating vestibular disorders and enhancing cognitive recovery.

Keywords:
basal gangliacognitionhippocampusneuroanatomyspatial orientationthetavestibular cortexvestibular system

More Related Videos

Using Eye-tracking to Assess the Relative Importance of Visual and Vestibular Input to Subcortical Motion Processing in the Roll Plane
07:24

Using Eye-tracking to Assess the Relative Importance of Visual and Vestibular Input to Subcortical Motion Processing in the Roll Plane

Published on: August 22, 2025

642
Estimating Vestibular Perceptual Thresholds Using a Six-Degree-Of-Freedom Motion Platform
06:31

Estimating Vestibular Perceptual Thresholds Using a Six-Degree-Of-Freedom Motion Platform

Published on: August 4, 2022

3.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Using Unidirectional Rotations to Improve Vestibular System Asymmetry in Patients with Vestibular Dysfunction
05:02

Using Unidirectional Rotations to Improve Vestibular System Asymmetry in Patients with Vestibular Dysfunction

Published on: August 30, 2019

6.9K
Using Eye-tracking to Assess the Relative Importance of Visual and Vestibular Input to Subcortical Motion Processing in the Roll Plane
07:24

Using Eye-tracking to Assess the Relative Importance of Visual and Vestibular Input to Subcortical Motion Processing in the Roll Plane

Published on: August 22, 2025

642
Estimating Vestibular Perceptual Thresholds Using a Six-Degree-Of-Freedom Motion Platform
06:31

Estimating Vestibular Perceptual Thresholds Using a Six-Degree-Of-Freedom Motion Platform

Published on: August 4, 2022

3.3K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Recent research highlights the vestibular system's role in cognition, including memory, spatial navigation, and self-consciousness.
  • Understanding vestibular pathways is key to addressing cognitive deficits in vestibular disorders and developing therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the anatomical network of vestibular cognition by detailing hypothesized pathways transmitting vestibular information to the cortex.
  • To map the vestibular cortical projection areas activated by vestibular stimulation.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of recent anatomical and functional studies on vestibular pathways.
  • Hypothesized pathways include vestibulo-thalamo-cortical, dorsal tegmental nucleus, nucleus reticularis pontis oralis, cerebellar, and basal ganglia routes.

Main Results:

  • Four major hypothesized pathways and a novel basal ganglia pathway transmit vestibular information to cognitive brain regions.
  • These pathways involve structures like the thalamus, hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and basal ganglia.
  • The identified pathways are linked to spatial representation, head direction, memory, and spatial learning.

Conclusions:

  • The study outlines a progressively emerging anatomical network of vestibular cognition.
  • This network provides a framework for understanding how vestibular input influences cognitive functions.
  • Further research into these pathways can inform therapeutic strategies for cognitive impairments related to vestibular dysfunction.