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Equilibrium and Balance

Equilibrium and Balance

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...

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Updated: Jul 1, 2025

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

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

Published on: August 30, 2019

Daily artificial gravity partially mitigates vestibular processing changes associated with head-down tilt bedrest.

G D Tays¹, K E Hupfeld¹, H R McGregor¹

¹Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.

NPJ Microgravity

|March 13, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Artificial gravity (AG) may counteract brain and balance changes from head-down tilt bedrest (HDT). Daily AG mitigated altered vestibular processing and maintained brain activation, correlating with better post-HDT balance performance.

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Last Updated: Jul 1, 2025

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Published on: April 28, 2020

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Space Physiology
Human Physiology

Background:

Microgravity significantly impacts vestibular signaling and body loading, leading to sensory reweighting.
Head-down tilt bedrest (HDT) is a ground-based model simulating unloading effects similar to spaceflight.
Artificial gravity (AG) is a potential countermeasure for spaceflight-induced physiological declines.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the efficacy of daily artificial gravity (AG) in counteracting brain and behavioral changes induced by 60 days of head-down tilt bedrest (HDT).
To investigate the effects of AG on vestibular processing and brain activation patterns during HDT using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Main Methods:

Two groups received 30 minutes of daily AG via short-arm centrifuge during 60 days of HDT (continuous or intermittent bouts).
A control group (CTRL) underwent HDT without AG.
fMRI scans were collected before, during, and after HDT to assess brain activation during vestibular stimulation in regions of interest and the whole brain.

Main Results:

The AG group exhibited no changes in cerebellar activation during vestibular stimulation, unlike the CTRL group which showed decreased activation.
Individuals in the AG group with minimal changes in left vestibular cortex activation demonstrated better post-HDT balance.
Whole-brain analysis revealed that AG maintained pre-HDT activation levels in the right precentral and inferior frontal gyri, while CTRLs showed increased activation.

Conclusions:

Daily AG can mitigate alterations in vestibular processing and associated brain activation changes induced by HDT.
AG may preserve neural pathways crucial for vestibular function and balance control during simulated microgravity.
These findings support AG as a promising countermeasure for maintaining physiological function during spaceflight.