Mast Fred W, Preuss Nora, Hartmann Matthias, Grabherr Luzia
Department of Psychology, University of Bern Bern, Switzerland ; Center for Cognition, Learning and Memory, University of Bern Bern, Switzerland.
Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Front Integr Neurosci. 2014 May 27;8:44. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2014.00044. eCollection 2014.
A growing number of studies in humans demonstrate the involvement of vestibular information in tasks that are seemingly remote from well-known functions such as space constancy or postural control. In this review article we point out three emerging streams of research highlighting the importance of vestibular input: (1) Spatial Cognition: Modulation of vestibular signals can induce specific changes in spatial cognitive tasks like mental imagery and the processing of numbers. This has been shown in studies manipulating body orientation (changing the input from the otoliths), body rotation (changing the input from the semicircular canals), in clinical findings with vestibular patients, and in studies carried out in microgravity. There is also an effect in the reverse direction; top-down processes can affect perception of vestibular stimuli. (2) Body Representation: Numerous studies demonstrate that vestibular stimulation changes the representation of body parts, and sensitivity to tactile input or pain. Thus, the vestibular system plays an integral role in multisensory coordination of body representation. (3) Affective Processes and Disorders: Studies in psychiatric patients and patients with a vestibular disorder report a high comorbidity of vestibular dysfunctions and psychiatric symptoms. Recent studies investigated the beneficial effect of vestibular stimulation on psychiatric disorders, and how vestibular input can change mood and affect. These three emerging streams of research in vestibular science are-at least in part-associated with different neuronal core mechanisms. Spatial transformations draw on parietal areas, body representation is associated with somatosensory areas, and affective processes involve insular and cingulate cortices, all of which receive vestibular input. Even though a wide range of different vestibular cortical projection areas has been ascertained, their functionality still is scarcely understood.
越来越多针对人类的研究表明，前庭信息参与了一些看似与诸如空间恒常性或姿势控制等知名功能毫无关联的任务。在这篇综述文章中，我们指出了三个新出现的研究方向，突出了前庭输入的重要性：（1）空间认知：前庭信号的调制可在诸如心理意象和数字处理等空间认知任务中引发特定变化。这已在操纵身体方位（改变来自耳石的输入）、身体旋转（改变来自半规管的输入）的研究中得到证实，在前庭疾病患者的临床发现中以及在微重力环境下开展的研究中也得到了证实。此外，还存在相反方向的效应；自上而下的过程会影响前庭刺激的感知。（2）身体表征：大量研究表明，前庭刺激会改变身体部位的表征以及对触觉输入或疼痛的敏感度。因此，前庭系统在身体表征的多感官协调中发挥着不可或缺的作用。（3）情感过程与障碍：针对精神疾病患者和前庭疾病患者的研究报告称，前庭功能障碍与精神症状高度共病。近期研究调查了前庭刺激对精神疾病的有益影响，以及前庭输入如何改变情绪和情感。前庭科学中这三个新出现的研究方向至少在部分程度上与不同的神经元核心机制相关。空间转换依赖于顶叶区域，身体表征与躯体感觉区域相关，情感过程涉及岛叶和扣带回皮质，所有这些区域都接收前庭输入。尽管已经确定了广泛的不同前庭皮质投射区域，但其功能仍鲜为人知。
