Vestibular-visual interactions in balance and orientation
Multiple Paper Presentation
Richard Fitzpatrick
Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute
Daina Sturnieks
Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute Rebecca St George
Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute Daniel Wardman
Abstract ID Number: 127 Last modified:
June 4, 2007
Presentation date: 07/07/2007 2:00 PM in Quad General Lecture Theatre
(View Schedule)
Abstract
We have argued that galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) delivers a pure vestibular perturbation without affecting other sensory channels. Two experiments reveal GVS vestibular-visual interactions important for postural control and orientation. The first study shows that GVS evokes visual as well as vestibular balance responses. When GVS was delivered to standing subjects with the eyes, but not the head, turned to the side, the normal GVS sway response was turned towards the gaze direction, but only with the eyes open. The same was seen for GVS with prism glasses that turned the visual field. As GVS produces ocular torsion though the VOR, it also provides a visual signal that produces secondary postural corrections. Unlike the visual signal, the semicircular canal signal has no absolute reference to external space. The second study shows that the orientation response to GVS is calibrated to prior visual signals. During an initial walk with eyes shut, GVS caused subjects to turn. On opening the eyes, they walked straight ahead despite GVS. On shutting the eyes again, the GVS caused only a slight turn but a large turn when the polarity was reversed, indicating that the vestibular signal was calibrated to straight ahead during the eyes-open period.
To be Presented at the Following Symposium:
Multisensory mechanisms of posture control
Other papers in this Symposium: - Brian Day
MRC Human Movement Group, Sobell Department for Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, UCL, London Michel Guerraz Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition CNRS UMR 5105 Université de Savoie, France. Feedforward versus feedback modulation of human vestibular-evoked balance responses by visual self-motion information - Stephen Lord
Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute Annie
Butler
Richard Fitzpatrick PROPRIOCEPTION, STRENGTH AND STANDING - Rebecca St George
Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute Richard Fitzpatrick Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute Perceptions of orientation after vestibular, visual and proprioceptive conditioning - Ian Curthoys
Psychology, University of Sydney Hamish
MacDougall
Psychology, University of Sydney
Dena
Attalla
Psychology, University of Sydney
Fabienne
MBongo
LNRS, Universite Paris
Pierre-Paul
Vidal
LNRS, Universite Paris
Catherine de Waele LNRS, Universite Paris Human head and body stability after unilateral vestibular loss
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