REFLEXES THE CODES OF NEUROLOGY

reflexesneurologytaskindumankapak21432

VESTIBULAR REFLEXES

Aysu Yetiş

Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Kırşehir, Türkiye

Yetiş A. vestibular Reflexes. In: Duman T, editor. Reflexes The Codes of Neurology. 1st ed. Ankara: Türkiye Klinikleri; 2025. p.213-227.

ABSTRACT

The vestibular system is responsible for regulating eye movements and body position, enabling us to maintain balance and an upright posture during head and body movements through complex sensory connections. This system operates quickly and efficiently via vestibular reflexes. vestibular reflexes result from the stimulation of sensory receptors in the peripheral vestibular organs and their processing in central vestibular structures. These reflexes include the vestibulo-ocular reflex (vOR), vestibulo-spinal reflex (vSR), vestibulo-collic reflex (vCR), otolthic reflex, optokinetic reflex (OKR), and vestibulo-sympathetic reflex.

The vOR is a mechanism that enables the eyes to maintain stability during head movements, ensuring that visual stimuli are projected onto the fovea of the retina. To achieve this stabilization, the eyes move quickly and in the opposite direction of the head’s movement. Additionally, vSR helps stabilize the body against gravity during various activities, including walking, running, and standing.The vCR is the analog of the vOR. Its primary function is to stabilize the position of the head in space by eliciting a response in the neck muscles during any head movement. The OKR works in conjunction with the vOR to preserve retinal images. While the vOR utilizes vestibular input to anticipate retinal shifts, the OKR is directly controlled by the retinal shift itself. The OKR enables the eyes to follow a moving image while keeping the head still. It encompasses two types of eye movements: the first is slow-phase nystagmus in the direction of the stimulus, and the second is fast-phase nystagmus in the opposite direction. The purpose of fast-phase nystagmus is to maintain the eye’s position within the orbit, while slow-phase nystagmus serves to fixate the moving visual scene on the retina.The otolithic reflex is a response that occurs during linear and translational movements of the head against gravity, facilitated by the stimulation of the otolithic organs, which help stabilize the eyes. The otolith organs detect linear acceleration by sensing the force of gravity when the head is tilted sideways. This stimulation results in the otolithic reflex, causing the eyes to rotate in the opposite direction of the head tilt. Additionally, the vestibulo-sympathetic reflex regulates blood distribution throughout the body via the sympathetic nervous system during changes in movement and posture. It does so by stimulating the vestibular system and maintaining consistent blood pressure. By increasing blood pressure, the sympathetic nervous system effectively regulates blood flow to specific tissues in the body.

Keywords: Reflex; vestibulo-ocular reflex; Optokinetic nystagmus; Saccule and utricle; vestibular system

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