Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 1 session / week, 3 hours / session
Course Description
This course introduces sensory systems, and multi-sensory fusion using the vestibular and spatial orientation systems as a model. Topics range from end organ dynamics to neural responses, to sensory integration, to behavior, and adaptation, with particular application to balance, spatial disorientation, posture and locomotion under both terrestrial and space conditions. Depending upon the background and interests of the students, advanced term project topics may include spatial disorientation, vestibular and spatial orientation modeling, flight simulator cueing system design, astronaut adaptation, artificial gravity, motion sickness, navigation, vestibular-cardiovascular responses, vestibular prostheses, or other relevant topics of interest.
Listeners may attend, provided that they read the papers, assist in presentations, and participate in discussions.
Class Format
Students typically discuss two papers each week, followed by a special topic presentation by faculty:
- 45 minute paper #1 presentation
- 15 minute discussion
- 45 minute paper #2 presentation
- 15 minute discussion
- 10 minute break
- 40 minute presentation/discussion by faculty on specialty topic
- 5 minute introduction to next topic
Calendar
| SES # | TOPICS | SPECIALTY TOPICS | FACULTY ADVISER | DEADLINES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction and organization, review of peripheral physiology | Intro to vestibular test methods, JC paper | Oman | Organize, make presentation assignments, discuss term paper requirements |
| 2 | SCC afferent response dynamics | Fluid and cupula mechanics, SCC allometry, otoscope and caloric demo | Oman | |
| 3 | Otolith afferent response; discharge variations | BPPV, aerobatic wobblies | Oman | |
| 4 | Canal- otolith interaction, velocity storage, and modeling | Canal otolith interaction and observer model demo | Merfeld | |
| 5 | Efferents | Cullen | Term paper topic proposals and preliminary bibliographies due | |
| 6 | Noise/thresholds | Thresholds as a vestibular diagnostic | Merfeld | Proposals returned, faculty term paper advisors assigned |
| 7 | Eye movement control system | Eye movement measurement methods | Young | |
| 8 | Active- passive responses and early processing of brainstem signals | Cullen | ||
| 9 | Cerebellum and adaptation | Cullen |
Complete bibliographies due Reading complete start writing | |
| 10 | Motion sickness | Space sickness incidence, prediction, prevention; pharmacology; placebos; MDD | Oman | |
| 11 | Individual term paper presentations | AG and adaptation to Coriolis | Young | First draft of term papers and presentations due |
| 12 | Vestibulo spinal pathways, locomotion | Young | ||
| 13 | Place and direction and path integration; limbic head direction, place and grid cells | VRIs and inversion illusions in 0-G, limbic frame hypothesis, Taube parabolic HD and Knierim neurolab PC experiments; Barker rotunda direction vertigo demo | Oman | Faculty reviewers provide comments/suggestions |
| 14 | Space and aviation applications | MVL centrifuge and prism goggles demo | Young | Final versions of term papers due |
Grading
| ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGES |
|---|---|
| Participation – contributions to discussion | 33% |
| Presentations | 34% |
| Term project proposal and bibliography | 3% |
| Term project presentation | 5% |
| Term project final paper | 25% |