Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, The Alfred Hospital and Monash University Central Clinical School, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.
Brain Res. 2013 Nov 6;1537:244-59. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.08.058. Epub 2013 Sep 6.
The vestibular system has traditionally been thought of as a balance apparatus; however, accumulating research suggests an association between vestibular function and psychiatric and cognitive symptoms, even when balance is measurably unaffected. There are several brain regions that are implicated in both vestibular pathways and psychiatric disorders. The present review examines the anatomical associations between the vestibular system and various psychiatric disorders. Despite the lack of direct evidence for vestibular pathology in the key psychiatric disorders selected for this review, there is a substantial body of literature implicating the vestibular system in each of the selected psychiatric disorders. The second part of this review provides complimentary evidence showing the link between vestibular dysfunction and vestibular stimulation upon cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. In summary, emerging research suggests the vestibular system can be considered a potential window for exploring brain function beyond that of maintenance of balance, and into areas of cognitive, affective and psychiatric symptomology. Given the paucity of biological and diagnostic markers in psychiatry, novel avenues to explore brain function in psychiatric disorders are of particular interest and warrant further exploration.
前庭系统传统上被认为是平衡器官;然而，越来越多的研究表明，前庭功能与精神和认知症状之间存在关联，即使平衡可以被测量到没有受到影响。有几个大脑区域同时参与了前庭通路和精神障碍。本综述检查了前庭系统与各种精神障碍之间的解剖学联系。尽管在所选择的关键精神障碍中缺乏前庭病理学的直接证据，但有大量文献表明前庭系统与所选精神障碍中的每一种都有关联。本综述的第二部分提供了补充证据，表明前庭功能障碍与前庭刺激对认知和精神症状的影响之间存在联系。总之，新出现的研究表明，前庭系统可以被认为是一个潜在的窗口，用于探索除维持平衡以外的大脑功能，以及认知、情感和精神症状领域。鉴于精神病学中生物和诊断标志物的缺乏，探索精神障碍中大脑功能的新途径尤其具有吸引力，值得进一步探索。
