nonvestibular

Nonvestibular is an adjective used in anatomy and medicine to describe something that is not related to the vestibular system, the inner-ear network responsible for balance and spatial orientation. The vestibular system includes structures such as the semicircular canals, utricle, and saccule; nonvestibular refers to components or processes outside this system.

In clinical contexts, the term often appears in phrases like nonvestibular vertigo or nonvestibular dizziness, indicating that symptoms are not of vestibular origin but may arise from other systems, including cardiovascular, metabolic, neurologic, or psychiatric sources. It is also used to classify structures outside the vestibular apparatus, for example the cochlea and auditory pathways, which are part of hearing rather than balance.

Etymology derives from Latin vestibulus, meaning a small forepart or entry, with the prefix non- indicating negation; in medical usage nonvestibular signals exclusion from vestibular involvement. Related terms include vestibular, vestibular apparatus, vertigo, and dizziness.