Sense organs (eye and ear)
Vestibule of the labyrinth
Vestibulum labyrinthi
- Origin
- Central cavity of the bony labyrinth between the cochlea in front and the semicircular canals behind
- Insertion
- Contains the saccule and utricle and communicates with the three semicircular canals
- Function
- Registers linear acceleration and head position in gravity through the maculae of utricle and saccule
- Innervation
- Vestibular part of the vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII), vestibular ganglion (Scarpa)
- Movement & chain
- Responds to tilting and linear acceleration; drives gaze stabilisation through the vestibulo-ocular reflex
- Palpation
- Dix-Hallpike manoeuvre, head impulse test, examination for nystagmus and the Romberg test
- Clinical
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (loose otoconia in the posterior canal), vestibular neuritis, Meniere disease, vestibular schwannoma
- Segmental innervation
- Cranial nerve VIII to the vestibular nuclei in the brainstem
- In clinical practice
- In BPPV the Epley repositioning manoeuvre is the treatment; fall prevention in dizzy older adults
- Region in the model
- Sense organs (eye and ear)