Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Physiology > Vestibular Function > Flashcards

Vestibular Function Flashcards

1
Q

What are the three systems that are utilized for the sense of body position in space?

A
  1. Vestibular
  2. Proprioceptive
  3. Visual
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the basis for the Romberg test?

A

The fact that the vestibular system alone is not adequate to maintain balance while standing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

The Vestibular system has a role in what three major functions?

A
  1. Proprioception
  2. Postural tone and equilibrium
  3. Stabilization of the eyes in space during head movements
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are the two otolith organs?

A

Utricle

Saccule

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the three parts of the semicircular canal?

A

Anterior
Posterior
horizontal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are the sensory receptors in the vestibular system?

A

Hair cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

If the stereocilia are bent towards kinocilium, then what happens to the cell (depolarization or hyperpolarization)? What happens to neurotransmitter release as a result of this?

A

Depolarization–increases neurotransmitter release

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

If the stereocilia are bent away from kinocilium, then what happens to the cell (depolarization or hyperpolarization)?

A

hair cell hyperpolarizes and decreases neurotransmitter release.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Each otolith organ contains what structure for the hair cells?

A

Macula

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Where is the macula within the utricle? What type of movement does it sense?

A

Floor of the utricle so horizontal when head is upright–Maximal response to head tilt is seen when the head starts in upright position.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How is the macula of the saccule oriented?

A

oriented vertical to the ground when the head is upright

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Otoliths are crystals of what chemical? What is their purpose?

A

CaCO3–bend cilia of the hair cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

The vestibular organs are sensitive to what type of movement?

A

Linear acceleration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Nerves innervating the otoliths organs have what type of firing rate when head is upright? What about when moving?

A

Upright = steady, high frequency

Changes in response to head tilt

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How are the semicircular canals arranged relative to one another?

A

Right angles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

True or false:A rotation which maximally stimulates one of the 3 canals does not stimulate the other two.

A

True

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Hair cells in the ampulla/cupula are stimulated by what type of acceleration.

A

Angular

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What are the interconnections between stereocilia?

A

Filamentous attachments

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Which are the sensing hairs and which is the big, stable hair cells (kinocilia vs stereocilia)?

A

Stereocilia = bending bits

Kinocilia = straight

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What are the ion changes that occur with depolarization of the hair cells?

A

K ions flow into the cell, causing depolarization, and opening of a Ca channel

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the relative [K] in the endolymph? Perilymph?

A

Endolymph = high

Perilymph = low

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

For depolarization of a hair cell, is K being actively or passively brought into a hair cell?

A

Passively

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Bending sterocilia towards the kinocilia hyperpolarizes or depolarizes hair cells?

A

Depolarizes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

True or false: all the hair cells of the ampulla, saccule, and utricle are in the same plane

A

False–all in different planes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

The brain compares what from the right and left ears to determine its position? How do the right and left stereocilia compare?

A

Firing rate of stereocilia, which should be polar opposites of each other

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Anterior canal output on one side is compared to output from what part of the other ear?

A

posterior canal from the other ear since both are maximally affected by the same head turn

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Receptors in the ampulla respond to what type of movement?

A

Angular acceleration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Horizontal cells are not quite horizontal. Bending the head to what angle will bring them parallel to the ground

A

30ish degrees

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What is the striola?

A

layer of otoliths

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What is the stimulus/force that hair cells respond to?

A

Linear acceleration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

The Brain uses information from both ears. Abrupt loss of vestibular function in one ear can cause severe symptoms. Why?

A

since patient’s brain interprets tonic activity from intact ear as response to head movement.

32
Q

Vestibular function deteriorates with age. Approximately what percent of vestibular hair and nerve cells are lost by 70 years of age.

A

40%

33
Q

What is the firing rate like from hair cells (variable, stable, etc)?

A

Stable (tonic)

34
Q

Turning your head in the horizontal plane will stimulate the horizontal semicircular canal. Let’s say you turn your head to the right. What happens to the firing rate of the right and left horizontal semicircular canal ampulla hair cell firing rate?

A

Increase in right sided firing

Decrease in left sided firing

35
Q

What is the ocular reflex?

A

If head is tilted to one side, eyes rotate in the opposite direction.

36
Q

the ocular reflex depends on what?

A

tonic input from the utricle and saccule

37
Q

What is the firing pattern like for the vestibular nerve?

A

Will fire in response to changes in velocity, but then calm back down

38
Q

Loss of the vestibulo-ocular reflex would result in what symptoms?

A

Loss of this reflex would make fixation difficult or impossible while the head was turning

39
Q

True or false: the VOR still occurs in the dark

A

True

40
Q

There are two eye movements that occur with movements of the head, the fast and the slow. Which is part of the VOR?

A

Slow

41
Q

What is the fast eye movement seen in testing the VOR?

A

Flicking back to midline once the eyes get to the most lateral edge of the eye

42
Q

What drives the fast eye movements seen in testing the VOR?

A

The fast movement is probably driven by the same brain areas that are responsible for saccadic eye movements.

43
Q

The vestibular system feed into which nuclei to stimulate the VOR? Where does this nucleus send projections to?

A

The vestibular nuclei, which go to the abducens nucleus

44
Q

When turning to the right, which vestibular nucleus is stimulated, the right or the left?

A

Left, causing leftward eyemovement

45
Q

Review conjugate eye movement innervation

A

Abducens nerve sends projections to the contralateral oculomotor nuclei to simulate the medial rectus to move eye in the same way the abducens nucleus moves the lateral rectus

46
Q

If a test pt is spun about at a constant velocity in a chair, what happens to the VOR?

A

Stops

47
Q

What is rotatory nystagmus?

A

Slow phase of nystagmus that compensates for the turn

48
Q

If turning a pt to the right, which way does the SLOW phase of nystagmus go?

A

Left

49
Q

If turning a pt to the right, which way does the FAST phase of nystagmus go?

A

Right

50
Q

Do the fast phase and slow phase of nystagmus utilize the same neural circuitry?

A

No

51
Q

Pts with a coma will only exhibit what type of nystagmus (fast or slow)?

A

Slow

52
Q

If there is a lesion in one of the semicircular canals, what will happen?

A

Vertigo

53
Q

What is post rotatory nystagmus?

A

vestibular nystagmus that occurs AFTER a person stops turning.

54
Q

What causes post rotatory nystagmus?

A

endolymph has inertia it continues to move after head stops turning, so even though person is now stationary, signals from semicircular canals make person feel that they are turning in OPPOSITE direction from original movement.

55
Q

If patient is tested by turning to LEFT, when chair stopped patient has illusion that they are turning in which direction?

A

RIGHT

56
Q

Eye movements of post rotatory nystagmus correspond to what? Thus, the slow eye drift is to what side?

A

the ILLUSIONARY turning

Thus the slow eye drift is opposite the illusionary side

57
Q

Cold sided irrigation of an ear will produce the slow nystagmus toward or away from that ear? Fast?

A

Cold side will fire less, causing Slow phase toward the cold ear, fast away from the cold ear

58
Q

Warm sided irrigation of an ear will produce the slow nystagmus toward or away from that ear? Fast?

A

Warm side will fire more, causing slow phase away from the ear, and fast phase toward the ear

59
Q

If a pt is comatose, which part of nystagmus will they have: slow or fast?

A

Slow only

60
Q

The COWS mnemonic gives the direction of which phase of nystagmus: fast or slow?

A

Fast, thus slow will be opposite

61
Q

What specific damage to the brainstem will cause the VOR to be absent?

A

damage to CN VIII

62
Q

What is the Doll’s eye maneuver?

A

Movement of the neck of a comatose pt should elicit VOR so they stay looking at you

63
Q

Never try the Doll’s maneuver until you are sure of what?

A

No c-spine injury

64
Q

What is the cause of BPPV?

A

Loose otoliths causing aberrant stimulation. Thus pts will feel fine with a certain position of their head

65
Q

Does BPPV cause heading loss?

A

no

66
Q

What is cause (maybe) of Meniere’s syndrome?

A

Imbalance between production and reabsorption of endolymph,

67
Q

What are the symptoms of Meniere’s syndrome?

A

Vertigo with fullness in ears and hearing loss

68
Q

How can Meniere’s syndrome cause permanent damage?

A

Damage to hair cells

69
Q

Some vestibular afferents go right from the vestibular apparatus to what lobe of the cerebellum?

A

Floccolobular

70
Q

The cerebellum receives direct connections from the vestibular apparatus and sends them where?

A

To the vestibular nuclei

71
Q

What are the vestibular nuclei? (how many, where in the brainstem are they, and what do they do)?

A

Four pairs of nuclei in the rostral medulla/caudal pons

Project fibers to the MLF

72
Q

What is the tract that projects from the vestibular nuclei to the motor nuclei of the oculomotor nuclei? What is the function of this connection?

A

Medial longitudinal fasciculus

Allows for vestibulo-ocular reflexes

73
Q

What is the function of the lateral vestibulospinal tract? Where does this tract begin?

A

This tract participates in control of motor neurons of limb and trunk for maintenance of balance and posture.

Begins in the vestibular nuclei, which receive signals from the vestibular apparatus

74
Q

What is the function of the medial vestibular tract?

A

This tract helps control neck muscles and thus head position.

75
Q

What is the function of the connection between the vestibular nuclei and the higher cortical centers?

A

Vestibular output via thalamus to cerebral cortex might provide for conscious awareness of body orientation and motion. Vestibular information integrated with visual and proprioceptive information.

Physiology (75 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions