Abstract:

The vestibular system, together with our proprioceptive an motor systems, provide unambiguous information about self-movement and our current position in space. When the vestibular system does not function, it causes problems with navigation, memory and has recently been found to be a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. In this talk I will show the work that we have done to characterise the human vestibular system from the sensory periphery to the cortical processing networks, and to relate this elusive system to navigation and memory deficits in healthy ageing and neurological disorders.