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Auditory and vestibular system

132 articles

Type I vestibular sensory cell

Type I vestibular sensory cell (type I hair cell): amniote-only flask-shaped vestibular hair cell enveloped by a calyx afferent terminal, with low-voltage-activated K+ currents and both quantal and non-quantal transmission, unlike bouton-innervated type II cells.

Utricle (ear)

Utricle (ear): otolith organ of the vestibular labyrinth, with the saccule; its horizontal macula, striola, and otoconial membrane sense horizontal linear acceleration and head tilt, tested clinically by oVEMP and SVV.

Ventral cochlear nucleus

Ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN), first relay of the central auditory system in the brainstem, subdivided into AVCN and PVCN; its octopus, bushy, and stellate cells run parallel timing and sound-localization pathways.

Vertigo

Vertigo: the false sensation of spinning or motion, a subcategory of dizziness causing up to 8% of medical consultations. Key causes include BPPV, Meniere's disease, vestibular migraine, and stroke; diagnosed with Dix-Hallpike and HINTS exams.

Vestibular hair cell

Vestibular hair cell, also called vestibular sensory hair cell (type I and type II), is the inner ear mechanoreceptor that transduces head motion and gravity into vestibular nerve signals; type I cells have calyx endings, type II bouton endings, and mammals regenerate them poorly.

Vestibular migraine

Vestibular migraine (migrainous vertigo) is a migraine subtype causing recurrent vertigo, defined by Bárány Society/IHS criteria; affects 1–3% of people, treated with propranolol, valproate, venlafaxine, CGRP antibodies, and vestibular rehabilitation.

Vestibular nerve

Vestibular nerve: balance branch of cranial nerve VIII, with bipolar neurons in Scarpa's ganglion carrying signals from utricle, saccule, and semicircular canals to four vestibular nuclei; distinct from the cochlear (hearing) branch.

Vestibular neuritis

Vestibular neuritis, also known as acute unilateral vestibulopathy, is a sudden loss of vestibular nerve function on one side, causing severe vertigo for days while hearing stays normal.

Vestibular nuclei

Vestibular nuclei: four paired brainstem nuclei (superior of Bechterew, medial of Schwalbe, lateral of Deiters, inferior of Roller) under the fourth ventricle relaying vestibular nerve input for gaze, posture, autonomic, and perceptual functions.

Vestibular rehabilitation

Vestibular rehabilitation (VRT, vestibular physical therapy) is exercise-based physical therapy for peripheral vestibular hypofunction, using gaze stabilization, habituation, balance and gait exercises; strong guideline evidence supports it, unlike isolated eye-movement exercises.

Vestibular system

The vestibular system, or labyrinth, is the inner-ear sensory system detecting head motion and gravity via three semicircular canals and the utricle and saccule, enabling balance, gaze stabilization (VOR), and spatial orientation; disorders cause vertigo and imbalance.

Weber test

Weber test: bedside hearing test, created by Ernst Heinrich Weber in 1834, placing a 512-Hz tuning fork on the midline skull; sound lateralizes toward a conductive loss and away from a sensorineural loss, complementing the Rinne test.