Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 6, 2025
05:02
Using Unidirectional Rotations to Improve Vestibular System Asymmetry in Patients with Vestibular Dysfunction
Published on: August 30, 2019
7.3K
How Peripheral Vestibular Damage Affects Velocity Storage: a Causative Explanation
Amsal Madhani1, Richard F Lewis1,2,3, Faisal Karmali4,5
1Jenks Vestibular Physiology Lab, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA.
Summary
The brain optimizes velocity storage time constants based on vestibular signal noise. This Bayesian approach explains how peripheral vestibular damage alters head velocity perception and eye movements.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Vestibular System
- Computational Neuroscience
Background:
- Velocity storage centrally processes vestibular input, affecting dynamic responses to yaw rotation.
- Normal subjects exhibit a longer time constant (15-30s) for perceived velocity decay than vestibular input (6s).
- Peripheral vestibular damage reduces this time constant, impacting clinical diagnoses, but the mechanism is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a mechanistic explanation for altered velocity storage dynamics following peripheral vestibular damage.
- To investigate the role of Bayesian optimization in determining ideal velocity storage time constants.
- To model interactions between age-related changes and peripheral damage.
Main Methods:
- Applied a Bayesian optimal Kalman filter to model unilateral vestibular damage.
- Predicted ideal velocity storage time constants under damaged conditions.
- Incorporated age-related hair cell loss into the models.
Main Results:
- Predicted time constants for unilateral damage were significantly lower than normal, matching patient data.
- Bayesian optimization successfully explained age-related changes in velocity storage.
- Noise from peripheral or early central processing remains relevant even after damage.
Conclusions:
- The brain optimizes velocity storage based on the vestibular signal-to-noise ratio.
- Bayesian principles offer a plausible mechanistic explanation for changes in velocity storage after peripheral damage.
- This framework supports the adaptive nature of the vestibular system in response to sensory degradation.
Related Concept Videos
01:29The Vestibular System
40.1K
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.
40.1K
01:15Equilibrium and Balance
5.0K
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...
5.0K
01:34Velocity and Position by Graphical Method
7.9K
Velocity and position can be calculated from the known function of acceleration as a function of time. The total area under the acceleration-time graph and the velocity-time graph gives the change in velocity and position, respectively. In the case of an airplane, its acceleration is tracked using the inertial navigation system. The pilot provides the input of the airplane's initial position and velocity before takeoff. The inertial navigation system then uses the acceleration data to...
7.9K
01:20Stokes' Law
1.6K
Viscous forces, like friction, are intermolecular forces that resist the relative motion of molecules over each other. When a solid body moves through a liquid, viscous forces drag it in the opposite direction. The force's magnitude depends on the solid's shape and size, as well as its speed and the liquid's coefficient of viscosity, density and temperature.
The expression for the force on a solid spherical object in a fluid is called Stokes' law. Stokes' law is valid only...
The expression for the force on a solid spherical object in a fluid is called Stokes' law. Stokes' law is valid only...
1.6K
01:22Pathophysiology of Vomiting
1.1K
Vomiting is a complex physiological response to expel harmful or irritating substances from the body. It's a defensive mechanism triggered by stimuli like poisons, microbial toxins, cytotoxic drugs, and mechanical abdominal distension. The process is centrally coordinated by the vomiting (or emetic) center located in the medulla of the brainstem. This area, rich in muscarinic M1, histamine H1, neurokinin 1 (NK1), and serotonin 5-HT3 receptors, coordinates the act of vomiting through...
1.1K
01:12Measuring Acceleration Due to Gravity
661
Consider a coffee mug hanging on a hook in a pantry. If the mug gets knocked, it oscillates back and forth like a pendulum until the oscillations die out.
A simple pendulum can be described as a point mass and a string. Meanwhile, a physical pendulum is any object whose oscillations are similar to a simple pendulum, but cannot be modeled as a point mass on a string because its mass is distributed over a larger area. The behavior of a physical pendulum can be modeled using the principles of...
A simple pendulum can be described as a point mass and a string. Meanwhile, a physical pendulum is any object whose oscillations are similar to a simple pendulum, but cannot be modeled as a point mass on a string because its mass is distributed over a larger area. The behavior of a physical pendulum can be modeled using the principles of...
661