Definition
There are two forms of adult neuroplasticity associated with the vestibular system: vestibular adaptation and vestibular compensation. Vestibular adaptation describes the routine changes in sensitivity (gain) of reflexive eye movements (vestibulo-ocular reflex, VOR) responsible for stabilizing images on the retina during head movements. Vestibular compensation, however, is a form of plasticity only precipitated by catastrophic events such as loss of vestibular input on one side.
Detailed Description
The balance or vestibular system is often overlooked as a major sensory system (Goldberg et al. 2012). Even less appreciated is the vestibular system’s inherent plasticity and capacity for self-repair. Two phenomena known as vestibular adaptation and vestibular compensation are exquisite examples of innate plasticity. The extent and limits of these restorative mechanisms can be observed and measured by using the important vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) as an example.
Vestibulo-ocul...
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Wellings, T.P., Brichta, A.M., Lim, R. (2013). Vestibular Adaptation and Compensation. In: Jaeger, D., Jung, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_6-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_6-2
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Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
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