vestibulära

Vestibulära refers to anything related to the vestibular system, which is a sensory system in the inner ear responsible for providing the brain with information about motion, head position, and spatial orientation. This system plays a crucial role in balance, posture, and coordinating movements of the head and eyes.

The vestibular system comprises two main parts: the semicircular canals and the otolith organs. The three semicircular canals are oriented at right angles to each other and detect rotational movements of the head, such as turning or nodding. The otolith organs, the utricle and saccule, contain calcium carbonate crystals that are sensitive to linear acceleration and the force of gravity, allowing us to sense head tilt and forward/backward or side-to-side movements.

When the head moves, fluid within these structures shifts, stimulating sensory hair cells. These cells then send nerve signals to the brain, primarily to the vestibular nuclei in the brainstem. From there, information is relayed to other brain areas, including the cerebellum, which helps control balance and coordination, and the oculomotor system, which controls eye movements.

Dysfunction of the vestibular system can lead to a variety of symptoms, most commonly dizziness, vertigo (a sensation of spinning), imbalance, nausea, and nystagmus (involuntary eye movements). These conditions can be caused by various factors, including inner ear infections, Meniere's disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), head trauma, and neurological disorders. Vestibular rehabilitation therapy is a common treatment approach for many of these conditions, aiming to retrain the brain to compensate for vestibular system deficits.