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

44.5K
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.
44.5K
Equilibrium and Balance01:15

Equilibrium and Balance

7.5K
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...
7.5K
Indirect Motor Pathways01:22

Indirect Motor Pathways

3.8K
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...
3.8K
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
Brainstem01:19

Brainstem

7.5K
The brainstem, located inferior to the brain and superior to the spinal cord, serves as a bridge between the cerebrum and the spinal cord. It plays a vital role in relaying information and controlling critical life functions. It comprises three primary regions: the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata.
The Midbrain
The midbrain is located beneath the diencephalon and connects the cerebrum with the lower parts of the brain. The cerebral peduncles are prominent midbrain structures that house the...
7.5K
Auditory Perception01:17

Auditory Perception

1.4K
The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the...
1.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Altered abdominal spatial mapping despite preserved tactile acuity in adolescents with Restrictive Eating Disorders.

Acta psychologica·2026
Same author

Human Steering Control Under Unpredictable Disturbances.

The European journal of neuroscience·2026
Same author

Movement effort does not alter the planning horizon of sequential reaching movements.

Journal of neurophysiology·2026
Same author

Gaze-centered spatial coding of touch on a hand-held tool.

Journal of neurophysiology·2026
Same author

Explaining attractive and repulsive biases in the subjective visual vertical.

PLoS computational biology·2026
Same author

Foreknowledge of postural demands of an upcoming step modulates rapid stepping behaviour.

Gait & posture·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 8, 2026

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

599

Vestibular contributions to high-level sensorimotor functions.

W Pieter Medendorp1, Luc J P Selen1

  • 1Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, P.O. Box 9104, NL-6500 HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Neuropsychologia
|February 7, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The vestibular system significantly impacts higher-level sensorimotor functions, influencing perception, decision-making, and motor learning. New research highlights its role in integrating sensory information for motion estimation and spatial awareness.

Keywords:
BayesianDecision makingMotor learningOptimal controlVestibular cognitionVisual stability

More Related Videos

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

7.8K
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

3.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 8, 2026

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

599
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

7.8K
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

3.7K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sensorimotor control
  • Vestibular system research

Background:

  • The vestibular system is crucial for gaze stabilization, posture, and self-motion perception.
  • Its role in higher-level sensorimotor functions, beyond basic motion detection, is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent research on the vestibular system's influence on perceptual judgments, motor decisions, and motor learning.
  • To explore how the brain integrates vestibular, visual, and motor efferent information for motion estimation and spatial updating.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current theoretical, behavioral, and neurophysiological studies.
  • Analysis of brain computations involving optimization, inference, estimation, and control.
  • Investigation of neuronal oscillations in parietal cortex using electroencephalography (EEG).

Main Results:

  • Vestibular input influences perceptual judgments and motor decisions, particularly during self-motion.
  • The brain integrates multiple sensory signals (vestibular, visual, efferent) using various coordinate representations.
  • Vestibular signals act as contextual cues in motor learning and recall.

Conclusions:

  • The vestibular system plays a critical role in high-level sensorimotor functions.
  • Future research should focus on theoretical, behavioral, and neurophysiological investigations into vestibular influences.