Visuo-vestibular integration and attentional processing in physiological and pathophysiological states
File(s)
Author(s)
Bonsu, Angela
Type
Thesis
Abstract
This thesis delves into the intricate mechanisms of the brain's vestibular network governing sensory integration and attentional processing, both in typical physiological states and among patients with vestibular disorders. The succeeding experimental chapters aim to unravel this by employing a combination of studies in healthy control subjects and patients afflicted with vestibular disorders. In the first experimental chapter, we uncover how the redirection of attention, facilitated by a visual stimulus that can induce the perceptual sensation of self-motion, impacts the vestibulospinal reflexes intricately linked to postural control maintenance. We then investigate the modulation of visuo-vestibular cortical interactions and their differential effects on ocular and perceptual thresholds within the vestibular system, in patients with peripheral and central vestibular disorders. The subsequent experimental chapter looked at the disruption of attentional processing in patients with migraine symptoms coupled with concurrent dizziness, along with individuals experiencing vestibular dysfunction. This chapter employed the attentional network task to shed light on these disruptions. In the concluding experimental chapter, we employed EEG to probe the neural correlates of a novel sensory stimulation paradigm, one with the potential to disrupt behaviour significantly. Throughout this thesis, we explore the intricate workings of the vestibular system's brain mechanisms, shedding light on their roles in sensory integration and attentional processing across a spectrum of physiological and pathophysiological states.
Version
Open Access
Date Issued
2022-04-14
Date Awarded
2024-03-01
Copyright Statement
Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial Licence
License URL
Advisor
Arshad, Qadeer
Bronstein, Adolfo
Schultz, Simon
Sponsor
Imperial College London
Publisher Department
Department of Brain Sciences
Publisher Institution
Imperial College London
Qualification Level
Doctoral
Qualification Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)