Studies On The Morphology Of The Sensory Regions Of The Vestibular Apparatus

Vestibular physiology has acquired new interest in the past few years. The development of fast aircraft, beginning during the Second World War and continuing through modern supersonic jets and space travel, has increased dramatically the acceleration range to which man is subjected, from prolonged weightlessness to several gs. The labyrinth measures all kinds of acceleration, including gravity. and therefore has taken on particular impor tance in the study of human health in the Space Age. It is understandable. then, that NASA sponsored the Symposium on Vestibular Function and Morphology. a satellite of the Eighth Annual Meeting of the Society of Neuroscience. held October 30-November 1. 1978, at the University of Pittsburgh, which also supported the symposium. The present volume was developed from papers originally presented there. My strategy in editing this book has been to focus upon the vestibular end organ and its direct connections. both peripheral and central, in order to as sure a coherent discussion of the basics of vestibular function, structure, and ultrastructure. Fortunately, it was possible to secure the contributions of a number of outstanding investigators from both the United States and abroad, including functionally oriented morphologists. ultrastructuralists, biophysicists, and vestibular physiologists. The result is a comprehensive discussion of the main mechanisms of the labyrinth: the transduction pro cess at the receptor level, in the semicircular canals, and in the utricular and saccular maculae; the information transfer through neuronal pathways to the nuclei and the cerebellum; and the general organization of the system.

The membranous labyrinth lies enclosed in the very hard petrous part of the temporal bone and, as the name implies, its structure is extremely complex. This may explain why our knowledge of this organ and the vestibular sensory regions within it, is not yet satisfactory. In recent years the rapid development of space research has provided a power ful stimulus to our interest in the vestibular apparatus. This has found expression in annual symposia, in which the role of the vestibular organs in the exploration of space is discussed. However, little is known as yet about the influence upon the equilibrial apparatus, during space flight, of weightlessness and other related conditions. The inner ear has also acquired increased significance from an otosurgical point of view. Operations are today performed in regions previously inaccessible to surgery. This requires exact knowledge of anatomical details and of relations between the different structures in the inner ear.

The Vestibular System is an integrative loo takes an interactive look at the vestibular system and the neurobiology of balance. Written by eight leading experts and headed by Jay M. Goldberg, this book builds upon the classic by Victor Wilson and Geoffrey Melville Jones published over 25 years ago and takes a fresh new look at the vestibular system and the revolutionary advances that have been made in the field.

The details of the receptor mechanism are not yet fully understood for any sensory system. However, sufficient data are available (for the vestibular system and for other systems) to permit meaningful tracking of the sensory messages through the nervous system and via conscious experience. The reception, process ing, storage and output of information in man and other animals, as done by means of receptors, neurons, secretory cells and muscle fibers, are collectively referred to as mind. Sensory physiologists tend to disbelieve in extrasensory perception. Sensory physiology in general is an area upon which different sciences and methods converge. Anatomists, physiologists, psychologists, physicists, chemists, and engineers have made important contributions to sensory physiology. What is special about vestibular physiology is the fact that many research workers are clinicians, living under the constant pressure of their patient's demands. This is a disadvantage when it comes to writing handbooks, but an advantage for the pa tient, since research is guided by clinical practice and can be quickly applied. Modern methods, such as recording from single nerve units and the correlation of electrophysiological and psychophysical data, have greatly contributed to our knowledge, yet the study of lesions is still important, especially in the vestibular field.

Edited and authored by a wealth of international experts in neuroscience and related disciplines, this key new resource aims to offer medical students and graduate researchers around the world a comprehensive introduction and overview of modern neuroscience. Neuroscience research is certain to prove a vital element in combating mental illness in its various incarnations, a strategic battleground in the future of medicine, as the prevalence of mental disorders is becoming better understood each year. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are affected by mental, behavioral, neurological and substance use disorders. The World Health Organization estimated in 2002 that 154 million people globally suffer from depression and 25 million people from schizophrenia; 91 million people are affected by alcohol use disorders and 15 million by drug use disorders. A more recent WHO report shows that 50 million people suffer from epilepsy and 24 million from Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Because neuroscience takes the etiology of disease—the complex interplay between biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors—as its object of inquiry, it is increasingly valuable in understanding an array of medical conditions. A recent report by the United States’ Surgeon General cites several such diseases: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, early-onset depression, autism, attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, anorexia nervosa, and panic disorder, among many others. Not only is this volume a boon to those wishing to understand the future of neuroscience, it also aims to encourage the initiation of neuroscience programs in developing countries, featuring as it does an appendix full of advice on how to develop such programs. With broad coverage of both basic science and clinical issues, comprising around 150 chapters from a diversity of international authors and including complementary video components, Neuroscience in the 21st Century in its third edition serves as a comprehensive resource to students and researchers alike.