Sensory Dissociation in Vestibular Function Assessment

Abstract

The project aims to create а solution to the problem of early diagnostics of neurodegenerative disorders, accompanied by imbalance, and to develop rehabilitation methods for patients with vestibular disorders. The balanced upright position is a result of interaction between vestibular system, skeleton and muscles, visual, and proprioceptive systems. Postural abnormalities are caused by morphological or functional alteration of the components of the equilibrioception system. These disorders weaken the ability of the central nervous system to process vestibular, visual and proprioceptive signals, which are responsible for the sense of balance. Moreover, it also decreases the plasticity of the nervous system, resulting in adaptation disfunctionality. Unfortunately, premorbid detection of vestibular dysfunctions is quite a complicated test because available methods to evaluate postural reflexes have low sensitivity and specifity. Consequently, the development of methods to assess functional state of the equilibrioception system becoming viable in order to detect neurodegenerative disorders as early as possible, to control treatment and rehabilitation procedures.