An overview of different techniques of vestibular stimulation used in experimental animals

Abstract

Even though primarily the function of the vestibular system is the maintenance of balance and equilibrium, it has been found that vestibular stimulation is beneficial even in advanced areas like cognitive neuroscience. The history of the vestibular system only dates back to 18th century, but much before that vestibular stimulation had been used to cure psychiatric disorders. Later vestibular stimulation used as a tool for diagnosing vestibular disorders. However, abundant evidence again proved that this old technique is beneficial in neurological disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Vestibular stimulation also found to be beneficial in the management of stress, improving diabetics and hypertension, improving sleep quality, improving immunity, improving memory, motor execution during a cognitive task, and reduction in abnormal muscle tone. Further, for normal growth and development, vestibular stimulation is an essential component. The current review article deals with different methods available for vestibular stimulation in experimental animals.