vestibular system, spinal reflexes and breathing Flashcards
what are the 3 main contributors to orientation?
- vision (visual space)
- vestibular system (inertial space)
- proprioception (internal space)
what does orientation mean?
ones position, direction and spatial relationship with the environment influenced by many sensory inputs and cognitive mechanisms
how does the visual system contribute to orientation?
- provides info about surrounding environment
- give visual cues, and helps individuals determine position, heading and spatial relationship
- very good at detecting motion (optic flow)
visual systems problems with detecting motion
- motion aftereffect - prolonged exposure to moving stimulus and then period of rest can course motion in a stationary object
- visual illusions - misinterpretations on motion and speed e.g., section when a train starts moving
how does the vestibular system contribute to orientation?
- located in inner ear
- changes in head position
- balance, spatial orientation and motion
- balance when standing and head tilting
- coordinates eye movements when head rotates
how does the proprioceptive system contribute to orientation?
- ones own body position and movement through sensory receptor feedback
- awareness of limb position, muscle tension and position of body parts
what are the rogans of balance in the vestibular system?
- otolith organs
- semicircular canals
otolith organs
- sense linear acceleration and affects of gravity
- perception of head position
- utricle and saccule containing small calcium carbonate crystals that responds to head movements and linear acceleration
semicircular canals
- perpendicular to each other
- detect rotational movements of head in any direction
- info about changes in angular acceleration
- 3 of them
- anterior, posterior and lateral
- orientated in different planes to detect head rotation
what do cilia hair cells do?
- what the otoliths and canals contain
- movement causes deflection on hairs
- motion towards stereocilium depolarises receptor and increases firing rate of afferent
what is rotation and acceleration signalled by
- difference in firing rate between the different vestibular system in each ear
- when you move your head it will cause an increase of firing rate on one side and decrease on other
-different calculates how fast you are moving - in disease = if you lose info from one side of head quickly it is nauseating
what is the structure of the utricle and saccule?
- contain endolymph
- receptors in macula
- respond to acceleration and gravity
- main role is postural stabilisation
utricle in more detail
- within membranous labyrinth
- calcium crystals called otoliths embedded
- horizontal = sensitive to linear acceleration changes in horizontal plane
- stereocilia present
utricle function
- head undergoes linear acceleration
- otoliths move causing its membrane to deform
- this stimulates hair cells
- signals transmitted to brain via vestibular nerve
- provides info about heads orientation
saccule in more detail
- located in membranous labyrinth
- contains otoliths
- membrane positioned vertically
- stereocilia present
- senses linear acceleration on vertical plane
saccule function
- head will undergo linear acceleration
- exactly the same just on the vertical plane
what is the oticonia
- like a brick
- if head rotates the oticonia deflects hair cells due to gravity
- acceleration and tilt do exactly the same
how do you differentiate between acceleration and tilt signals?
- different movement profiles
- canals tell you when tilting head you also get a rotation signal
what is a somato-gravic illusion?
- illusion in aircraft
- high high acceleration
- people end up crashing into sea as soon as they take off as incorrect perception of pointing into sky, so pitch down but actually just crash
(false climb) - continuous and high acceleration = otolith organs have continuous tilt
anatomy of the semicircular canals
- column of fluid
- swollen section at one end of canal = ampulla
- cupula = stretched across walls of Canal forming a seal
- rotate canal fluid will stay
- hair cells embedded in cupola = signal in rotation
- only responds to rotation
cupula in more detail
- same density as surrounding endolymph fluid (neutrally buoyant)
- does not response to changes in orientation
what happens to the cupolas buoyancy when drunk?
- becomes lighter so rises when lying down
- produces a left-beating nystagmus when lying on left ear
- after heavy water ingestion cupula becomes heavy so sinks when lying down producing a right beating nystagmus when lying on left ear
what is caloric vestibular stimulation
- method of modulating firing rate of primary vestibular afferents by irrigation of ear canal with warm or cold water
how does caloric vestibular stimulation work?
- irrigates external ear with cold or warm water using device to circulate water in to ear canal
- changes of temp in inner ear will induce nystagmus
- assesses VOR by observing induced nystagmus - eyes move in direction opposite to temp change
- important for diagnosing disorders within vestibular system
what is galvanic vestibular stimulation?
- non-invasive methods for altering vestibular nerve activity
- cathode - increase afferent firing rate and on other side you decrease
- measure perceived rotation (maximal effect when head is tilted up or down)
- signals head roll towards cathode
- can also evoke torsional eye movements as modulating firing rate activates VOR
- also evokes balance response
what are spinal reflexes
- automatic response to a change in the environment
- they are coordinated, involuntary motor responses initiated by a stimulus applied to peripheral receptors
- some reflexes are complex involving supra-spinal components
- highly modifiable by input from brain
what is the stretch reflex - sensorimotor loop
- evoked by tendon tap
- abolished by cutting dorsal roots
not just a mechanical response but relies on sensory afferent feedback