Vestibular thresholds, including psychophysical response dynamics

描述（由申请人提供）：最近的研究表明，前庭信号引起的反射和知觉可以利用不同质的机制；然而，关于前庭知觉的知识还很缺乏。这可能就是为什么大部分前庭患者报告未确诊的知觉缺陷的原因。无论解释如何，许多感知缺陷的潜在原因都没有被诊断出来。除了主观视觉垂直测试外，定量临床测试只关注自反性反应。然而，检测未确诊的运动感知症状的最佳方法是通过感知测试。因此，本文提出的临床研究目标是建立精确有效的方法来量化一般的运动感知，更具体地说，是测定感知阈值。为了实现这些临床目标，我们建议在基础科学研究的同时进行患者试验。具体来说，本提案的一个基本科学目标是确定旋转、平移和倾斜的阈值作为频率的函数。令我们惊讶的是，动态倾斜刺激诱发的倾斜阈值从未被报道过。此外，我们对旋转和平移阈值作为频率函数的了解是有限的，这对于临床测试和对前庭感知动力学的科学理解都是至关重要的。使用阈值测试，我们还建议研究前庭知觉的另一个基本特征。具体来说，我们建议研究用于运动感知的坐标系。在关注感知的同时，我们也建议测量VOR阈值。为了实现上述所有目标，我们提出了一套全面的研究，使用患者、猴子和“正常人”来实现以下具体目标：测量“正常”人类的感知阈值：A)绕地球垂直轴旋转（仅耳道），B)平移（仅耳石），C)在宽频率范围内倾斜（耳道和耳石）。SA) 2。测量恒河猴的偏航旋转（仅耳道）、耳间平移（仅耳石）和滚动倾斜（耳道和耳石）的知觉和VOR阈值。SA) 3。测量已知前庭疾病患者旋转、平移和倾斜的知觉阈值。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Recent studies have shown that reflexes and perception evoked by vestibular cues can utilize qualitatively different mechanisms; yet there is a paucity of knowledge regarding vestibular perception. This may be why large percentages of vestibular patients report perceptual deficits that are undiagnosed. Regardless of explanation, the underlying causes of many perceptual deficits are not diagnosed. With the exception of the subjective visual vertical test, quantitative clinical tests focus exclusively on reflexive responses. However, the best way to assay undiagnosed motion perception symptoms is via perceptual testing. Therefore, the clinical goal for the research proposed herein is to establish precise efficient methods to quantify motion perception in general and, more specifically, to assay perceptual thresholds. To achieve these clinical goals, we propose patient testing alongside basic science studies. Specifically, one basic science goal of this proposal is to determine thresholds for rotation, translation, and tilt as functions of frequency. To our surprise, tilt thresholds evoked by dynamic tilt stimuli have never been reported. Furthermore, our knowledge of rotation and translation thresholds as a function of frequency - crucial both for clinical testing and for a scientific understanding of the dynamics of vestibular perception - is limited. Using threshold tests, we also propose to study another fundamental characteristic of vestibular perception. Specifically we propose to study the coordinate frame(s) utilized for motion perception. While we focus on perception, we also propose to measure VOR thresholds. To accomplish all of the above goals, we propose a comprehensive set of studies using patients, monkeys, and "normals" to achieve the following specific aims: SA 1. Measure perceptual thresholds in "normal" humans for A) rotations about an earth-vertical axis (canal only), B) for translations (otolith only), and C) for tilts (canal & otolith) across a wide range of frequencies. SA 2. Measure both perceptual and VOR thresholds for yaw rotation (canal only), inter-aural translation (otolith only) and roll tilt (canal and otolith) in rhesus monkeys. SA 3. Measure perceptual thresholds for rotation, translation, and tilt in patients suffering known vestibular disorders.