Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 5, 2026
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
Altered functional brain connectivity in patients with visually induced dizziness.
Angelique Van Ombergen1, Lizette Heine2, Steven Jillings1
1Antwerp University Research Centre for Equilibrium and Aerospace (AUREA), University of Antwerp, Antwerp. Belgium; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium; Faculty of Sciences, Department of Physics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Visually induced dizziness (VID) patients show altered brain connectivity in visual and vestibular networks. These changes in functional connectivity may explain why visual stimuli worsen their symptoms, offering initial insights into VID pathophysiology.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Vestibular Disorders
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Visually induced dizziness (VID) is a condition where visual stimuli trigger or worsen vestibular symptoms.
- Patients experience dizziness, disorientation, and unsteadiness.
- The underlying neural mechanisms of VID remain poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural aspects of visually induced dizziness (VID).
- To gain initial insights into the functional brain connectivity in VID patients.
Main Methods:
- Explorative study using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
- Included 10 VID patients and 10 matched healthy controls.
- Analyzed functional connectivity using intrinsic connectivity contrast (ICC) and seed-based analysis.
Main Results:
- VID patients exhibited decreased functional connectivity in the right central operculum and increased connectivity in the occipital pole.
- Seed-based analysis revealed weaker thalamus-putamen connectivity and decreased connectivity between visual associative areas and the parahippocampal gyrus in VID patients.
- Increased connectivity was observed between thalamus and occipital/cerebellar areas, and between visual cortex and frontal/precuneus regions in VID patients.
Conclusions:
- Alterations in visual and vestibular cortical networks are present in VID patients.
- These connectivity changes may underlie the exacerbation of vestibular symptoms by visual stimuli.
- Preliminary findings offer insights into VID functional brain connectivity, warranting further research with larger samples and task-based paradigms.
