The neural basis of vestibular compensation

Funding Activity

Website
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/401249

Funding Status
Closed

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Funded Activity Summary

Dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance affect nearly half the population by the age of 60 and balance-related falls, especially in the elderly, are a serious health concern. Surveys of primary care doctors have shown that dizziness and vertigo are as prevalent as hypertension and angina, and approximately 40% of the population experience dizziness severe enough to seek medical attention. Unfortunately, most symptoms are not relieved by currently available medical treatment. There is, however, a remarkable hidden reserve of 'self-repair' in the balance system that can be triggered under certain conditions. We call this process 'vestibular compensation' and if we can understand those conditions and discover the means by which this reserve affects the nervous system, we may be able harness its power to alleviate the all distressing symptoms of imbalance. Perhaps we may even be able to apply these principles to other critical systems that may need repair. We propose to look at a key region in the central nervous system that is responsible for processing balance signals and may be very important in 'vestibular compensation'. We will try to activate this recovery process under controlled conditions so that we can understand the changes that occur. Specifically we will examine the role of vestibular (balance) neurons in the central nervous system that appear to be modified following trauma of the inner ear balance organs. We will use our new recording techniques to examine these vestibular neurons to see how their intrinsic properties may change and what external or internal factors influences this change. Our aim is to understand what factors promote and what factors inhibit full recovery.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2006

End Date: 01-01-2008

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $317,230.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Sensory Systems

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

Vestibular function | balance | synptic plasticity | synptic transmission | vertigo | vertigo/dizziness | vestibular compensation | vestibular dysfunction

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