ILOs:

• Understand how the inner ear detects orientation and movement of the head
• Understand how vestibular, visual and proprioceptive inputs are integrated to maintain balance
• Understand how the vestibular system is linked to the cranial nerve nuclei controlling eye movement

Part 1

• What is balance?
• What are the conscious and unconscious nerve pathways from the vestibulum for the maintenance of posture and balance?
• What is the relationship between the vestibular system and the eye?
• Outline the components of the vestibular system
• Describe the features of the vestibular hair cells
• Outline the process by which the utricle and saccule are able to detect rotational movement/gravity
• What are the differences between the utricle and the saccule with regards to motion detection?
• Describe the features of the semicircular canals and their physiology
• What is the arrangement of the different semicircular canals and what motion do they detect?
• What is the pathway of information from the semicircular canals to the effectors?
• Describe the vestibulo-ocular reflex
• Outline the difference between the vestibular-ocular reflex and fix-and-follow
• What is the purpose of the vestibulo-occular reflex?
• Things to remember