The Vestibular System A Sixth Sense [Hardcover]

InThe Vestibular System: A Sixth Sense, leading experts present an integrative, comprehensive and innovative look at the sense that Aristotle missed. The vestibular system plays a vital role in everyday life, contributing to a surprising range of functions from reflexes to the highest levels of perception and consciousness. This text not only offers a thorough and fresh review of the basic sensory transduction, the neurophysiology of peripheral and central pathways and how vestibular signals are processed in the control of gaze and posture; it significantly moves the discussion forward with its attention to the current research and the field's revolutionary advances, such as the understanding of neural correlates of self-motion and the basis of clinical disorders. In addition, the objective presentation of existing controversies is exciting reading and an extremely important contribution to the text's completeness. Dynamic, intellectually challenging, and unique in its level of integration of the material, this book is essential for anyone interested in understanding the vestibular system.


I. Introduction
Chapter 1- The Vestibular System in Everyday Life
1.1 Overview of the vestibular system
1.2 Visual acuity and the vestibulo-ocular reflex
1.3 Air-righting reflex in the cat
1.4 Post-rotational reactions
1.5 Positional alcohol nystagmus (PAN)
1.6 Motion sickness
1.7 Vection illusions
1.8 The subjective visual vertical
1.9 Adaptive plasticity
1.10 Path finding and spatial orientation
1.11 Postural control
1.12 Summary
1.13 Selected readings

II. Peripheral Vestibular System
Chapter 2 - Structure of the Vestibular Labyrinth
2.1 Gross and microscopic anatomy
2.2 Fine structure of the sensory regions
Hair cells
Supporting cells
Transitional regions
2.3 Regional variations in cellular architecture and afferent innervation
Cristae ampullares
Utricular macula
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