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Updated: Oct 17, 2025

Behavioral Assessment of the Aging Mouse Vestibular System
Published on: July 11, 2014
[Vestibular compensation and aging: An example of cellular and behavioral resilience over time]
1Aix Marseille Université-CNRS UMR 7291, laboratoire de neurosciences cognitives, équipe physiopathologie et thérapie des désordres vestibulaires, groupe de recherche Vertige (GDR#2074), 3 place Victor Hugo, 13000 Marseille, France.
Abstract:
The vestibular system has a remarkable capacity of self-repair. Vestibular compensation, a model of post-lesional plasticity of the central nervous system, refers to a set of endogenous neuroplasticity mechanisms in the vestibular nuclei in response to damage to the peripheral vestibular system, and underlying functional recovery. During aging, this "homeostatic" plasticity, although still present, diminishes and is accompanied by sensorimotor and cognitive disturbances. Regardless of age, vestibular compensation can be improved by pharmacological therapy but also by rehabilitation based on strengthening other sensory modalities such as visual and proprioceptive modalities, but also cognitive and motor components. In this article, we will first discuss neurobiological mechanisms of vestibular compensation, then document the impact of aging on this adaptive plasticity.
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