Lecture 9: Cerebellum & Vestibular Ocular Reflex (VOR) Flashcards
What does the cochlear portion of the inner ear detect?
sound
What does the vestibular portion of the inner ear detect?
movements
In humans the vestibular system has evolved to provide?
- Orientation
- Equilibrium
The vestibular system is responsible for sensing head motion via what two mechanisms?
- Maintaining postural control
- Stabilizing images on the fovea of the retina (gaze stability)
The vestibular system transmits information to the central vestibular pathways to control what?
Reflexes and perceptions
the vestibular system is part of a complex multisensory system- it never stands alone, and works w/ other systems
The peripheral vesitibular is a membranous labyrinth within what structure?
The temporal bone
What are the 5 neural structures of the peripheral vestibular and what do they respond to?
- 3 semicircular canals: respond to ANGULAR acceleration
- 2 otolith organs (utricle & saccule): respond to LINEAR acceleration, tilt, and gravity
the SSC are positioned in the orthogonal planes
What are the 2 otolith organs and they sense motion in what planes ?
- Utricle: senses motion in the HORIZONTAL plane (foward-back, left-right, or combination)
- Saccule: senses motion in the VERTICAL plane (up-down) and gravity
They work together. Utricle: braking in a car & Saccule: going up or down in an elevator
What 4 structures does each otolith organ have?
- Macula
- Hair cells = project into a gelatnious mass containing otoconia (calcium carbonate crystals)
- Gelatinous substance = embedded with otoconia
- Afferent nerve fibers
When the head moves, the otolith-gel mass (otoconia) drags on the hair cells causing what?
An excitatory or inhibitory response
The semicircular canal responds to what and where are the 3 canals positioned?
- Responds to angular acceleration and are positioned in the orthogonal planes.
- Each canal is sensitive to movement in its own planes
- Together, the 3 canals can code the direction and amplitude of any head roation
Each end of the semicircular canal is enlarged to form the sensory receptor called the _____.
ampulla
What are the semicircular canals filled with?
endolymph
Has a lot of potassium
What are the 3 structures within the ampulla of the SCC?
- Cupula (gelantinous mass): separates the SCC from vestibule
- Crista w/ hair cells: kinocilium (long stereocilia), 50-100 stereocilia
- Vestibular afferents
tonotopically organized
During ____ _____, endolymph inside the SCC lags behind movement of the SCC due to inertia
Causes deflection of the stereocilia
rotational acceleration
SCC are “coplanar mates” Explain this concept
Associated with respective SCC on opposite side. (Left Horizontal paired with Right Horizontal)
How do the SCCs work to respond to a given rotational head movement?
Pairs of SCC on opposite sides of the head respond in opposite ways to a given rotational head movement (excitatory for one, inhibitory for the other).
Disagreement between corresponding SCCs on the two sides of the head causes what?
due to pathology or trauma
- Vertigo
- Nausea
What are the two branches of CN VIII?
- Vestibular nerve
- Cochlear nerve
Primary vestibular neurons are bipolar neurons whose cell bodies form ____ in the internal auditory canal
Scarpa’s Ganglion
What are the 2 branches of the scarpa’s ganglia?
- Superior vestibular nerve
- Inferior vestibular nerve
What does the Superior Vestibular Nerve innervate?
- Horizontal canal
- Anterior (superior) canal
- Utricle
“sUp”=U for utricle
What does the Inferior Vestibular Nerve innervate?
- Posterior canal
- Saccule
Where do MOST vestibular nerve fibers terminate?
in the ipsilateral vestibular nucleus on the floor of the 4th ventricle