Anatomy and Function
The primary role of the vestibular nerve is to transform vestibular information (related to balance) into an egocentric frame of reference based on the position of the head in relation to the body. The vestibular nerve dynamically updates the frame of reference of motor movement based on the orientation of the head in relation to the body. As an example, when standing upright and facing forward, if you wished to tilt your head to the right you would need to perform a slight leftward motor movement (shifting more of your weight to your left side) to maintain balance. While the head is still in motion, the response magnitude of alteration to motor coordinates is significantly reduced when compared to when the head is fixated in one position.
Read more about this topic: Vestibular Nerve
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