2021 Volume 58 Issue 1 Pages 95-100
The vestibular system is a known gravity sensory system. This peripheral sensor, located in the inner ear, consists of two components, namely the semicircular canals and otolith organs, which detect angular and linear accelerations, respectively. Both eye movement (i.e., the vestibulo-ocular reflex) and posture (i.e., the vestibulo-spinal reflex) are contributed by the vestibular system, and these are important for the understanding of the body’s dynamics and kinematics. Interestingly, the stimulation of the peripheral vestibular organs such as gravitational change is also known to induce the sympathetic nervous response, which regulates arterial pressure (vestibulo-cardiovascular reflex). Furthermore, the responsiveness of this reflex is attenuated by the chronic gravitational change; this is due to the plasticity of the vestibular system. This review demonstrates the contribution of the vestibulo-cardiovascular reflex to the orthostatic tolerance. Furthermore, electrical stimulation of the peripheral vestibular organs has a possibility to maintain the vestibular function in elderly people and astronauts, which might prevent the orthostatic hypotension.
