Reading Activity Week #13 (Due Monday)

1a) What did you find interesting?

I found the vestibular organs to be interesting. Vestibular organs are the set of five organs. Three semicircular canals and two otolith organs located in each inner ear that sense head motion and head orientation with respect to gravity. These organs are also sometimes called the vestibular system or the vestibular labyrinth, but the name vestibular system is often used more generally to refer to the vestibular organs and their neural pathways. The fundamental nature of the vestibular system is emphasized by the fact that the vestibular organs appeared very early in the evolutionary history and have remained relatively unchanged. The vertebrate fossil record shows the presence of distinct vestibular organs in fish far long ago. Vestibular perception is often regulated to the attentional background, and many responses evoked by the vestibular system are reflexive. Only when we experience problems such as dizziness, vertigo, spatial disorientation, imbalance, blurred vision, and illusory self-motion are we likely to become acutely aware of our vestibular sensation. I thought this was interesting because I don’t think of my vestibular system regularly and the book did point that out.

2a) What did you find interesting?

I also found angular acceleration and linear acceleration. Angular acceleration is the rate of change of angular velocity. Mathematically, the integral or angular acceleration is angular velocity, and the integral of angular velocity is angular displacement all mathematically respect angular motion. Linear acceleration is the rate of change of linear velocity Mathematically, the integral of linear acceleration is linear velocity, and the integral of linear velocity is linear displacement, which is also referred to as “translation.” Linear acceleration, linear velocity, and linear displacement all mathematically represent linear motion. Three stimulation energies are sensed by two types of vestibular sense organs, which are the semicircular canals and the otolith organs. The semicircular canals sense angular accelerations, which is a change in angular velocity. This signal makes a predominant contribution to our sense of angular motion. The otolith organs transduce both linear acceleration, which is a change of linear velocity, and gravity. The otolith organs provide a predominant contribution to your sense of head tilt and a predominant contribution to your sense of your linear motion. I thought this was interesting because I didn’t know what these accelerations meant of the differences between them.

3a) What did you find interesting?

I also found sensory integration to be interesting. Sensory integration is the process of combining different sensory signals. Typically, combining several signals yields more accurate and more precise information than can be obtained from individual sensory signals. This is not the mathematical process of integration learned in calculus. The sense do not operate independently. Instead, the brain combines signals from different sensory systems via the neural process of sensory integration. Most of us have experiences illusion of self-motion caused by moving visual cues. All of these situations can lead to perceptions of the illusory self-motion called vection. Vection is an illusory sense of self-motion caused by moving visual cues when you are not actually moving. I thought this was interesting because I didn’t know there were definitions for different sensory signals.

4a) What one (1) thing did you find the least interesting?

One thing I found least interesting was oscillatory. Oscillatory is referring to back-and-forth movement that has constant rhythm. Sinusodial is referring to any oscillation, such as a sound wave or rotation motion, whose waveform is that of a sine curve. The period of a sinusoidal oscillation is the time that it takes for one full back-and-forth cycle of the motion to occur. The frequency of a sinusoidal oscillation is defined as the numeral 1 divided by the period. The firing rate of an afferent neuron increases and decreases as the angular velocity increases or decreases. This change in firing rate has the same frequency as the sinusoidal stimulus. Semicircular canals are not equally sensitive to all frequencies of rotation. I just didn’t find this interesting because it was basic information that I didn’t find interesting.

5) What did you read in the chapter that you think will be most useful to in understanding Sensation / Perception?

I think knowing all of the vestibular organs will be most useful. They are spatial orientation, dizziness, vertigo, spatial disorientation, and imbalance. Vestibular organs is the set of five organs are located in each inner ear that sense head motion and head orientation with respect to gravity. Spatial orientation is a sense of consistency of three interacting sensory modalities, the senses of linear motion, angular motion, and tilt. Dizziness is a commonly used lay term that nonspecifically indicates any form of perceived spatial disorientation, with or without instability. Vertigo is the sensation of rotation or spinning. The term is sometimes used erroneously to mean any form of dizziness. Spatial disorientation is any impairment of spatial orientation. More specifically, any impairment of our sense of linear motion, angular motion, or tilt. Imbalance is a lack of balance, unsteadiness, and nearly falling over. I thought these were all basic terms that would be good to know to continue on in the chapter.

6) How, in what ways, does this chapter relate (build on) to the previous chapters?

This chapter builds on other chapters because it talks about spatial orientation and the vestibular system. This builds off of hearing and the ear. It goes into more detail on different parts of the ear and how we experience different sensations. It goes into detail on different problems we experience and how we experience this perception and sensation wise. It goes into more detail on the subjects of tilt, motion, and organs.

7a) What topic would you like to learn more about?

I would like to learn more about the sense of different features. There is the sense of angular motion, which is the spatial orientation modality that senses rotation. The sense of linear motion is the spatial orientation modality that senses translation. The sense of tilt is the spatial orientation modality that senses head inclination with respect to gravity. Amplitude is the size of a head movement. And direction is the line along which one faces of moves, with reference to the point or region toward which one is facing or moving. I would like to learn more about these just because I thought it was interesting that there were so many different features of motion.

8) What ideas related to what you were reading (what did you think about) did you have while reading the chapter?

I just generally thought of how perceive the world while tilted. Or how we see different angles. I also thought of how we don’t notice certain parts of our body until there is a problem that we do. Like when we become dizzy or experience vertigo. We don’t necessarily notice this until we’re experiencing the problems with it, which I found interesting to think about.

Terms: Vestibular organs, semicircular canals, otolith organs, inner ear, motion, orientation, vestibular labyrinth, neural, evolutionary, fossil, attentional background, evoked, dizziness, vertigo, spatial orientation, imbalance, blurred vision, illusory self-motion, angular acceleration, linear acceleration, rate of change, velocity, translation, displacement, energies, gravity, sensory integration, sensory signals, brain, vection, oscillatory, sinusoidal, afferent neuron, increases, decreases, rate, rotation, sense of angular motion, sense of linear motion, sense of tilt, amplitude, direction.

1a) What did you find interesting?
As a college student, this chapter taught me alot and it made me understood some things that i didn't understand about my vestibular organs before, the first thing i found interesting on this chapter is Spatial Orentation. this is basically a sense of consisting of three interacting sensory modalities. the senses of linear motion, angular motion and tilt.

1b) Why was it interesting to you?
it was very interesting to me because of the information that i learned from it, the examples that came with it, and it looks like something that i would like to learn more about .

2a) What did you find interesting?
The second thing that i find interesting is the Spatial disorienation, which is the opposite of orientation, that is any impairment of spatial orientation, more specifically any impairment of our sense of linear motion, angular motion or tilt.

2b) Why was it interesting to you?
I found this interesting because i want to know what would cause the disorientations of your spatial and how could you help it or what would be the first thing that would have to be wrong with your spatial in order for it to be disorientated.

3a) What did you find interesting?
Another thing i found interesting was Hair Cells, which is any cell that has stereocellia for transducing mechanical movement in the innear ear into neural activity sent to the brain some hair cells also recieve inputs from the brain.

3b) Why was it interesting to you?
i thought this was interesting because i honestly didn't know that we had hair cell in our ears, i thought that it was only our noses that had hair inside them, but i could never guess that our ears do too, i thought it'd be something interesting to learn or read about furthermore.

4a) What one (1) thing did you find the least interesting?
i didn't think utricle was interesting, which is basicallt one of the two otolith organs.

4b) Why wasn't it interesting to you?
i honestly didn't find it interesting because i couldn't even pronounce it, i couldn't understand the examples that were supposed to explain it, and i've never heard of it before, i was confused reading that section of the chapter, and that's probably mostly why i didn't find it interesting.

5) What did you read in the chapter that you think will be most useful to in understanding Sensation / Perception?
i thought this chapter was very useful, i think that now i understand better why when i get up super fast and i get dizzy, i also understand that if i don't have that much energy and try and do something activite, it makes me dizzy because my vestibular organs aren't realy inline with one another, i also understand why when people are drunk or myself even, we speak weirdly and slurr our words because our vertigo isn't in direct motion, i think that this chapter is very useful for anyone that's living, especially college students.

6) How, in what ways, does this chapter relate (build on) to the previous chapters?
the last chapter talked about pitch, dimensions and melodies, also our speeches, accoustics and such, while this chapter really goes on about vestibular organs, hair cells, and our senses. this is basically what happens when the information is through our ears, and what the steps they go through after reaching our vestibular, or if something is impaired about our vestibular organs, what usually happens after, in order for the messages to be perceive correctly, every vestibular organ of ours has to be working properly.

7a) What topic would you like to learn more about?
a topic that i would like to learn more about is ANS, which is Autonomic nervous system, this is basically the part of nervous system that innrvates glands, heart, digestive system and so on. it's responsible for regulating many involuntary actions.

7b) Why?
i want to learn more about this topic because i think its very interesting and i think that i could use that information into my own advantage.

8) What ideas related to what you were reading (what did you think about) did you have while reading the chapter?
when i was reading this chapter it made me think of when i was in elementary school, when we would go to the play ground and run around circles and get dizzy, then fall and just lay there for a second, and even though we were laying there, the world was spining in circles, which was kind of cool, i didn't know what that was then, i thought i was just having fun, but i come to find out that when i did that, my vestibular is disorientated and that's why everything was spining, i also i understand why you get stumbling when you're drunk, its because your orientation is impaired and it's not functioning correctly.

9)TERMS: Spatial orientation. Dizziness, Vestibular organs, Ears auditory System. Autonomic nervous system. Spatial Disorentation. Otolieth organ, Linear Motion, Hair Cell.

1a) What did you find interesting?
1b) Why was it interesting to you?
2a) What did you find interesting?
2b) Why was it interesting to you?
3a) What did you find interesting?
3b) Why was it interesting to you?
4a) What one (1) thing did you find the least interesting?
4b) Why wasn't it interesting to you?
5) What did you read in the chapter that you think will be most useful to in understanding Sensation / Perception?
6) How, in what ways, does this chapter relate (build on) to the previous chapters?
7a) What topic would you like to learn more about?
7b) Why?
8) What ideas related to what you were reading (what did you think about) did you have while reading the chapter?
9) Once you are done with your post make list of the terms and terminology you used in your post.
1. The first thing I found interesting was the beginning of the chapter where the vestibular organs were introduced. The vestibular organs are a set of sense organs located in the inner ear, and contributes to our sense of spatial orientation by sensing head motion and gravity. I found it interesting because it can be considered as our sixth sense, but people rarely talk about it. There are three semicircular canals that sense angular motion, and two otolith organs that sense both gravity and linear acceleration. What is more interesting is that even hair cells can participate in the contribution of spatial orientation, by converting both orientation with respect to gravity and head motions into signals that are then sent to the brain via neurotransmitter. Hair cells are such tiny creatures but they have so many responsibilities. All hail hair cell!

2. Then, I found out how important head motion is to our daily lives, and the threshold for responding to the directions of rotation, linear motion, and tilt are very low when compared to other senses. This is interesting because even in the dark, we are able to be aware of our head motion (unconsciously of course). However, people with vestibular loss have a harder time correctly perceiving their motion in the dark than do people with normal functioning vestibular. Do people with normal functioning vestibular become slightly less oriented in the dark? Either way, we now know that vision or light may contribute to our perception of orientation.

3. I found the perception of orientation interesting in general. Our other five primary senses involve tangible sensation of the world around us, whether it is pain, touch, odour, light, or sound. For spatial orientation, it is hard to pin point exactly which tangible and physical thing we are sensing that leads to the specific perception of orientation. We also do not have an organ visible from the outside that is there specifically for the purpose of perceiving orientation, and that is probably why this sixth sense is discovered a little later than the other five. Also, there is no one particular area of the cortex are designed to exclusively deal with vestibular information, or not that we know of. Areas that are responsible for processing this information also there to process vision and other sensory stimuli. It seems as though the vestibular system is the extra feature that comes with the human body.
4. I found the sections regarding vestibule-ocular reflexes and how the vestibular system contributes to visual acuity less interesting purely because it is very hard to read due to the vast amount of vocabulary. The concept appears interesting to me but the paragraphs were very challenging.

5. I believe that the functions of the vestibular system is the most important concept in this chapter in re the studies of sensation and perception. If spatial orientation can be perceived as the sixth sense, it should be studied more extensively and understood. Spatial orientation has been around since the evolution of the human kind, but there are many problems with the vestibular system and treatments are relatively limited. Since spatial orientation is such an important perception in the daily lives of everyone, it should be studied enough to help those who suffer from dysfunctional vestibular system.

6. The vestibular organs are located in the ears, and parts of the functions of those organs are parts of the ears that are responsible for perceiving auditory; the previous chapters discusses ears. It builds on the previous chapter relatively well, and it also build on the chapters regarding visions by making many remarks regarding visions and how it can aid the vestibular system.

7. I want to learn more about problems with the vestibular systems, because I believe that the best way to learn about how an organ work is to study the problems it may have, as it gives us insights into how a normally functional organ should behave. From there, we are better able to draw a baseline regarding normality and abnormality of the organ.

8. I was thinking a lot about how when I was younger, I would spin and spin and spin and spin myself until I collapsed and could not stand up for a few minutes, then I would stand up again and spin and spin and spin and spin until I collapsed again (perhaps that is why I can act sober when I am drunk – I guess I built up a tolerance for my vestibular system). Then, I thought about a documentary I watched that featured a woman who appeared drunk, but it was because she had problems balancing herself. The documentation mentioned her inner ear malfunctioning.

TERMS: vestibular system, vestibular organs, hair cells, vision, auditory, head motion, tilt, linear motion, gravity

1A) Vertigo
1B) I found this interesting to read about and learn I little more background to because of my GF. She recently had a small case of Vertigo that could stay with her the rest of her life.
2A) Imbalance.
2B) I am interested in this because of my own inability to maintain balance in certain situations. When it comes to snowboarding I have no problem. Ask me to stand on one leg for X amount of time good luck with that hope you can catch me when I fall.
3A) Vaction
3B)This just sounds interesting to me. The feeling of moving when you are actually not. I think I have had this kind of feeling in the past.
4A) mathematical integration
4B) I wasn't as particularly interested in this due to I just cant seem to completely understand it. and what all it is trying to describe to me.
5) I believe the beginning part of the book is most useful about sensation and perception. The ideas of vertigo and different balancing ordeals.
6) This chapter talks about different motion ordeals with balance. But also with different mathematical parts and waves of sounds as did other chapters.
7A) Vertigo
7B) I would like to learn more about Vertigo because if my GF is going to have it from time to time the rest of her life I would like to help her out as much as I can.
8) Honestly I couldn't get over the parts about balance and i was thinking about how often i see people trip over themselves and it made me think if there was more to it then just clumsiness.
9) Vertigo, imbalacne, Vaction, Mathematical integration, sensation, perception.

1. A) I thought Mal de Debarquement Syndrome was interesting.
B) I thought this was interesting because you get it sometimes on a boat. I've never had this happen to me so it makes me curious as to why it happens.
2. A) I thought that meniere's syndrome was interesting.
B) I thought this was interesting because I've never heard of it. I also thought this was interesting because I was surprised that a person will be willing to have permanent disabilities just to get rid of symptoms.
3. A) I thought the example of vestibuloocular reflex was interesting.
B) I thought this was interesting because it is easier to compensate for your head movement than hand movement and I also thought it was interesting trying it.
4. A) I thought that mathematical integragation was least interesting.
B) I thought this was least interesting because it sounded so complicated using calculus just to change a persons positions.
5. I think that knowing the vestibular system and knowing what the different parts do will be most useful.
6. This chapter builds on with the vestibular system and how it works with hearing. It also discusses balance and the tilt of the head.
7. A) I would like to learn more about meniere's syndrome.
B) I would like to learn more about how a person gets this and why. I find it interesting because there are so many symptoms and that some of the treatments can cause permanent damage.
8. While reading I was thinking about balance and getting sick of dizzy because of imbalannce.
9. Terms: dizziness, imbalance, balance, vestibular system, mathematical integragation, vestibuloocular reflex, meniere's syndrome, mal de debarquement syndrome.

The section that discussed the otolith organs was interesting, because of their function in linear acceleration and gravity. They are two mechanical structures, called utricle and saccule. In the text it discussed how we sense movement such as head tilt and the acceleration of the motion. The example used was to close your eyes while a passenger in a car. This was intriguing because when my children were learning to drive if I happened to be riding in the back seat there were many times I would simply close my eyes to relieve the stress. However, I was never able to do so for long because I could feel the motions of the car and the inability to see the reason behind a sudden jerk to the left always made my eyes pop open to make sure they didn’t hit oncoming traffic or to check on how close they came to a parked car.
Vetibulo-ocular responses (VOR), is a reflex that assists in stabilizing vision. It does this by counter rotating the eyes when the vestibular system sense head movement. Basically these eye movements sense head movement and rotate the eyes so that it can remain focused on the object. I found this interesting because I have Thomsen’s disease which is a disorder affecting release of tension in muscles. There have been many times when I move my head that my eyes cannot rotate quickly enough to adjust and I see something as blurry for a very short period of time. I can tell the eye are trying to adjust and as soon as the muscle releases the response kicks in and the object becomes clear.
Mal de Debarquement syndrome was fascinating as I have experienced the feeling of wobbliness after being on a boat or ride. After a few moments I and most everyone else can regain our balance and get our sense of steadiness back to normal. This is a rather rare syndrome in which a few individuals are unable to get that sense of steadiness back after a boat ride. They continue to feel imbalanced and as though they are rocking for a month or more after riding on a boat. This can be very serious and there are even a few who experience these symptoms for years. Currently the reason why is still unknown.
The section in the middle of the chapter that dealt with the mammalian vestibular system was the least interesting to me. The intricate details of the workings of the canals and the cochlea are very in depth and complicated. This is an area where I would do better having someone explain the content to me rather than just reading it on my own.
This chapter helped to explain more of the sensations of sight and hearing and speech.
I think that this chapter builds on the basic biology and mechanics of sight, sound and speech in the previous chapter. The sensation part helps to make us understand how we sense and use adaptations to improve other basic senses.
I would like to explore some of the disorders. They are fascinating in how we can understand the system by seeing what happens when one part does not work as it should.
I thought about how these senses might be a help to people who are lacking another sense like hearing or sight.
Terms: otolith organs, linear accelration, gravity, utricle, saccule, vestibulo-ocular responses, Mal de Debarquement Syndrome, steadiness, imbalanced, mammalian vestibular system, canals, cochlea

1) I found angular acceleration interesting to read about because it is mathematically derived. Angular acceleration is the rate of change of angular velocity, which is the rate of change of angular displacement, with respect to angular motion. Linear acceleration is the rate of change of linear velocity, which is the rate of change of linear displacement. This can be compared to acceleration and velocity in a moving vehicle. Velocity is the rate at which we travel a given distance. There are two components in the concept of velocity: distance and time. We measure velocity most commonly using mph, meaning #miles traveled per hour. Additionally, acceleration is the rate of change in velocity. Acceleration in a vehicle means ‘speeding up’ or ‘slowing down’, but either way our velocity is changing to some degree.
2) It also found it interesting to read about how the vestibular organs sense angular motion, linear motion, and tilt. Angular acceleration is motion that exists among planes (rotational), sensed in the semicircular canals, while linear acceleration, or translational motion and gravity are sensed in the otolith organs. Tilt is when a sloping position (like the leaning Tower of Pisa) is attained. The sensations in these organs together form vestibular sensation. What’s interesting is that we are seldom aware of this input. Sometimes referred to as our ‘sixth sense’, the vestibular organs are very early products in evolution. This means their input is primarily processed in the midbrain, and does not require conscious thought to understand. The input is also processed by areas of the cortex responsible for vision and
3) Sensory integration is the process of combining different sensory signals, and another interesting topic from chapter 12. When combined, sensory signals produce more accurate and precise information than a single signal. We can therefore have a better perception of the world because we have various types of sensory input. This indicates that some of the sensory function has evolutionary motives, albeit ones that span over many species.
4) I wasn’t so much interested to learn about tinnitus, which is ringing in the ears. This phenomenon is associated with hearing loss, not the cause of hearing loss. I guess I wasn’t interested to learn about it because I always thought it was something you just had to deal with, an annoyance.
5) It was really interesting to learn about sensory integration, and I think this will pertinent in future chapters. It seems like the text is now looking at perception as an entire experience, which will inevitably combine sensory input types.
6) Learning about vestibular organs relates to the chapters on sound and hearing, where we began learning about the anatomy of the ear. Angular and linear motion is also relevant to all of the chapters we read about vision, particularly chapter 8, motion perception.
7) I would like to learn more about gravity’s role in sensory perception. It seems like the book kind of skimmed through the encoding process of the vestibular organs and how they function for hearing and in terms of angular acceleration, linear acceleration and tilt. I’d also like to know how the process for encoding toggles between the two senses.
8) This chapter made me think a lot about balance and gravity, oddly because it wasn’t a significant topic in the chapter. I also thought about how some of our sensory organs are the product of evolution, and how over time they might have evolved. The vestibular organs are common across an extremely wide range of species, and are known to have been present very early on. This makes me wonder if their use for sensory input could be extended to the unconscious. Just as balance and gravity are not topics we give much thought outside of class, perhaps there are other responsibilities of these vestibular organs that we are not yet aware of?
Angular acceleration, angular velocity, angular motion, linear acceleration, linear velocity, linear displacement, vestibular organs, semicircular canals, otolith organs, vestibular sensation, tinnitus, sensory integration

1a. The first concept that I found interesting from chapter twelve was the vestibular thalamocortical pathways that send vestibular information to the cortex. The vestibular information reaches the cortex via neurons from the vestibular nuclei that travel to the thalamus. Researchers have found evidence that suggests the temporo-parieto-insular cortex is involved in spatial orientation perception and receives input from the semicircular canals as well as the otolith organs. Additionally, research has found that after this part of the cortex is lesioned by a stroke or damaging medical condition, patients report illusory tilts, illusory translation, and rotational vertigo.
b. I found this topic to be interesting because it discusses important parts of the brain that are important for vestibular processing and spatial orientation. It also addresses the result of damage to these areas, specifically the occurrence of vertigo. I have had many experiences with vertigo because my mom experienced it. She reported the sensation of spinning every time she stood up. I have been curious about the causes of vertigo and the brain structures associated with it since then.
2a. The second concept from chapter twelve that I found interesting was Mal de Debarquement Syndrome. This syndrome usually occurs less severely after an individual has spent time on a cruise and then returns to land. The imbalance an individual feels after being on a cruise for an extended period of time can be described as swaying, rocking, or tilting perceptions. Researchers believe that these symptoms are the result of adaptations that allow a persons body to successfully habituate to the rocking of the ship. These effects usually dissipate within hours of being on land. Unfortunately, some people are unable to re adapt to land and experience these unbalanced and altered perceptions for months or even years after disembarking from the cruise. These patients report debilitating feelings of spatial disorientation, imbalance, and rocking. At the present time there has not been enough research to determine why some people are unable to readapt.
b. I found this to be interesting because it provides a relatable scenario that alters the vestibular system and an individuals perception of balance and stability on land after going on a cruise. Many people spend their vacations on cruises so it is interesting to learn about our adaptation to rocking of the boat and our bodies re adaption to land once the cruise is over. I have experienced feeling unbalanced after a ferry ride but I was fortunate enough to adapt back to the steadiness of land within a few hours. I think it is interesting that some people are never able to recover from this change in environment and I think it would be very interesting to do further research on why some people are unable to re adapt.
3a. The last concept from chapter twelve that I found interesting was Menieres Syndrome. The syndrome is characterized by extreme dizziness, imbalance, and spatial disorientation that can result in hard falls and vomiting. Patients who experience the syndrome do not know when it will occur or how long the episodes will last. It is usually accompanied by other symptoms such as ringing in the ears, hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the ears. This vestibular disorder is extremely debilitating and does not yet have any reasoning behind it. Doctors typically prescribe blood pressure medications or implant devices that provide micropressure impulses to destroy vestibular apparatus.
b. I found this topic interesting because it explores a deficit of the vestibular system that is unexplained by research. This deficit is a great example of the importance of the vestibular system and the role it plays in our ability to orient the spaces around us.
4ab. I had a hard time understanding all of the information given in the section on the mammalian vestibular system. It was a heavy load of complicated information that required me to read the section many times. I feel that it was too difficult to read and understand without supplemental help. For the aforementioned reasons I did not find this information to be extremely interesting or helpful.
5. I believe that the information about the parts of the brain important for spatial orientation and the vestibular system will be infinitely helpful in my understanding of sensation and perception. This information builds off of previous information provided by other chapters about important brain structures that contribute to the brains sensation and perceptual interpretations.
6. This chapter introduced a new topic that relates to the previous chapters only in that it is a form of sensing and perceiving the world around us. It does tie itself to the auditory system because many of the parts of the vestibular system are located in the ear. The book references previous parts of the ear and builds off of my basic knowledge of the auditory system to explain spatial orientation and the vestibular system.
7ab. I would like to learn more about Menieres Syndrome because I think it has many clinical implications that were not covered in this textbook. I think it is very interesting that doctors and researchers are unaware of its cause as well as what physiological system it affects. I am interested in learning about treatments that have been successful as well as hypothesized causes that may be explored in the research.
8. While reading this post I thought about vertigo often because it is a disturbance in the vestibular system that my mom has experienced many times. I wondered about the causes of vertigo as well as the treatments available for people that struggle with this issue.

Terms:thalamocortical pathways, vestibular system, cortex, temporo-parieto-insular cortex, illusory tilt, illusory translation, rotational vertigo, Mal de Debarquement Syndrome, Menieres Syndrome, vestibular apparatus,

The first thing I found interesting was the vestibular organs. Vestibular organs are the set of five organs. Three semicircular canals and two otolith organs located in each inner ear that sense head motion and head orientation with respect to gravity. These organs are also sometimes called the vestibular system or the vestibular labyrinth, but the name vestibular system is often used more generally to refer to the vestibular organs and their neural pathways. The fundamental nature of the vestibular system is emphasized by the fact that the vestibular organs appeared very early in the evolutionary history and have remained relatively unchanged. The vertebrate fossil record shows the presence of distinct vestibular organs in fish far long ago. Vestibular perception is often regulated to the attentional background, and many responses evoked by the vestibular system are reflexive. Only when we experience problems such as dizziness, vertigo, spatial disorientation, imbalance, blurred vision, and illusory self-motion are we likely to become acutely aware of our vestibular sensation. I thought this was interesting because it's one of those things that you never notice or appreciate until something is wrong with it.

The second concept that I found interesting was Mal de Debarquement Syndrome. This syndrome usually occurs after an individual has spent time on a cruise and then returns to land. The imbalance an individual feels after being on a cruise for an extended period of time can be described as swaying, rocking, or tilting perceptions. Researchers believe that these symptoms are the result of adaptations that allow a person's body to successfully habituate to the rocking of the ship. These effects usually dissipate within hours of being on land. Unfortunately, some people are unable to re-adapt to land and experience these unbalanced and altered perceptions for months or even years after disembarking from the cruise. These patients report debilitating feelings of spatial disorientation, imbalance, and rocking. At the present time there has not been enough research to determine why some people are unable to readapt. I find this interesting, because a family friend experienced this after a cruise. She had a good sense of humor about it, which is good, because she was almost arrested for public intoxication a couple of times because of it.

The third thing I found interesting was the illusion of vection. This illusion is when objects around a person appear to be moving to that person even though both the objects and the person are stationary. This indicates that our visual cues connect with our cues from our canals before reaching the brain, and if there is no cue from the canals as to any physical motion of the body, we can be tricked into seeing motion that does not exist, even if we don’t feel the non-existent motion. This was interesting to me, because I have always been fascinated by any and all illusions and tricks of perception.

The chapter as a whole was not terribly interesting, but the section on amplitude and coding was the least interesting to me by far. The reading and terms were pretty dense, and it didn't make a ton of sense to my sleep-deprived brain.

One thing that will help me the most in understanding sensation and perception was the anatomy section. Even if it isn't the most interesting thing in the world, it gives me something concrete to put the action of perception to which helps me better understand and remember information.

This chapter builds on other chapters because it talks about spatial orientation and the vestibular system. This builds off of hearing and the ear. It goes into more detail on different parts of the ear and how we experience different sensations. It goes into detail on different problems we experience and how we experience this perception and sensation wise. It goes into more detail on the subjects of tilt, motion, and organs.

I would like to do further research on Mal de Debarquement Syndrome, because it was interesting learning about something that I had seen in my personal life outside of class. I may even try to get first hand information on the experience from the family friend.

I didn't really think about much while reading the chapter except exactly what I was reading at the time. Much of the information was kind of dense and I am still sleep deprived from a long weekend of work, so I didn't really have the cognitive capacity to any further thinking.

Terms: Vestibular Organs, Canals, Otolith Organs, Inner Ear, Motion, Orientation, Mal de Debarquement Syndrome, Imbalance, Adaptations, Spacial Disorientation, Vection, Illusion, Amplitude, Coding

1a &b) What did you find interesting & Why? The first item in this chapter I found interesting was vestibular organs. Vestibular organs are a set of five organs; three semicircular canals and two otolith canals, all of which are located in each inner ear that sense head motion and head orientation. These organs are sometimes referred to as the vestibular system or the vestibular labyrinth. It was interesting to read about Aristotle’s contribution to our five senses, when in all reality, it should have been six senses. The book made an interesting point about why we didn’t learn about this “sixth” sense when we learning about the other five. The reason we did not study this when exploring the other five, is that, this system is so automatic. We typically do not give credit to this system unless something goes wrong. Dizziness, vertigo, spatial disorientation, imbalance, blurred vision, and illusory self-motion are all symptoms of this system failing in some way. It was interesting to read that this vestibular system was found in fish nearly 4oo million years ago, and through evolution, it has been virtually untouched. I found it interesting because I would have never thought that over 400 million years of evolution, something would have changed. Our bodies are always evolving.

2a &b) What did you find interesting & Why? The second item in this chapter I found interesting was sensory integration. Sensory Integration is defined as the process of combing different sensory signals. Vestibular signals combine with information from numerous sensory systems to provide us with an understanding of the position and movements of our head and body. All of us have experienced vection. Vection is an illusory sense of self-motion caused by moving visual cues when you are not actually moving. An example of this phenomenon would be sitting in traffic or a red light. When other drivers approach the light that you are sitting at, many of us push our brake pedals harder because we perceive we are still in motion when we are not. This type of illusory vection is caused by the retinal signals converging with the semi-circular canals in the vestibular nuclei, which is the first place in the brain that vestibular information reaches. I found this interesting because I am one of those people who are pushing my brake pedals harder when someone else comes to the same stop light as me. I now know why I do that and what organs and senses are involved in that behavior.

3a &b) What did you find interesting & Why? The third item in this chapter I found interesting was Meniere’s Syndrome. Meniere’s Syndrome is severe motion sickness resulting in vomiting that comes on suddenly. This syndrome affects between 1 and 100 and 1 in 1,000 people. This syndrome can appear at any age, although most frequently appears in mid-adulthood. Other symptoms of this disorder include; tinnitus, hearing loss, feeling pain or fullness in the ear. I found this interesting because I am always interested in what different disorders can do to one of our senses. This one in particular seems to be somewhat common, yet I have never heard of this condition.

4a &b) What one (1) thing did you find the least interesting & Why? The part of this chapter I found least interesting was coding. It didn’t capture my attention while reading that section. I had to go back and re-read this section a couple of times, just to get a little understanding of it.

5) What did you read in the chapter that you think will be most useful to in understanding Sensation/Perception? I think the most useful part of this chapter for understanding sensation and perception is our vestibular system and what it does for us every day. Knowing this system is present to make us aware of our own movements and orientation is important to know what other systems do to have us see and hear things every day to keep our species going. I think it is important to know the structures as well. The anatomy of the ear and our brains is an important concept to grasp.

6) How, in what ways, does this chapter relate (build on) to the previous chapters? This chapter relates to previous chapters because with each chapter going forward, we see some of the same terms revisited, but we also get more information on what other organs have an impact on our existence. Information from this chapter relates back to the visual chapter many times because it gives comparison of the structures of the eye are more likely to give us cues in our environment, just as the vestibular system does, and also the many structures located in our ears.

7a &b) What topic would you like to learn more about & Why? I would like to know more about vertigo. Not just what it is, but why some people are more prone to it, and why some people find relief going to a chiropractor. Going into the OTA field, knowing about some of the “household” names of disorders can help me understand what the patients can and cannot do to get back to a normal life.

8) What ideas related to what you were reading (what did you think about) did you have while reading the chapter? I didn’t really care for this chapter too much, but while I was I continued to think about the information and sensory adaptations our brain’s processes. I am also interested in how scientists and researchers found enough technology to form the information they perceived and why they began to explore it to begin with.

TERMS: vestibular organs, semicircular canals, otolith canals, head motion, head orientation, vestibular system, vestibular labyrinth, dizziness, vertigo, spatial disorientation, imbalance, blurred vision, illusory self-motion, sensory integration, vestibular signals, vection, illusory vection, retinal signals, Meniere’s Syndrome, vestibular nuclei, coding, vertigo

Chapter 12:

1a) What did you find interesting?
1b) Why was it interesting to you?
The first thing I found interesting in chapter 12 was the vestibular organs. The chapter explains how sometimes when we are dizzy whether it is from spinning around and making yourself dizzy or from something else it is our vestibular organs that are being affected. The vestibular organs sometimes collectively called the vestibular labyrinth or vestibular system are a set of specialized sense organs located in the inner ear next to the cochlea. Vestibular organs sense motion of the head, as well as the orientation of gravity and make a contribution to our sense of tilt and our sense of self motion. I found this interesting because I since I was a child I have gotten very dizzy easily. If I stand up to quickly or do a motion to quickly I can get extremely dizzy and sometimes pass out. I have passed out in basketball games, school, giving presentation in college, and while just walking through Walmart therefore I wanted to learn more about this.

2a) What did you find interesting?
2b) Why was it interesting to you?
The next section I found interesting was the hair cells, which we also learned about previously but I always find interesting. We don't consider hair cells to be something we have inside us helping us with our hearing process we consider hair to be on our head or outer body. These hair cells act as mechanoreceptors in each of the five vestibular organs. Head motion causes hair cell sterocilia to deflect. Stereocilia deflection causes a change in the hair cell voltage, which alters neurotransmitter release which in turn evokes action potentials in those vestibular nerve fibers that have one or more synapses on the hair cell. I found this to be very interesting, cilia is something that when I first read about I was intrigued so learning more about how it works in our body and inner ear is intriguing.

3a) What did you find interesting?
3b) Why was it interesting to you?

Rotation perception and the vestibular system are both interesting to me. The chapter explains how we can determine not only motion but when motion stops. The vestibular system is attuned to changes in motion and can tell when we are moving and when we have stopped. Right after we stop spinning or moving the mind knows that it is slowing down and that we aren't spinning at the same speed we once were but after about a minute it knows that we have stopped completely and are no longer spinning. I found this interesting because my friends and I often plays games such as "spin the bat" or my nephew had a pinata at his last birthday party, it would be useful to have known this in those games because instead of trying to go right away if I would have let my mind catch up and waited the minute I may have had a better chance at winning.

4a) What one (1) thing did you find the least interesting?
4b) Why wasn't it interesting to you?

I didn't really find all the directions of head movements to be interesting. The chapter discusses the different motions and tilts that we can do with our heads and I found this material to not be as interesting. sense of angular motion, sense of linear motion, and sense of tilt all seemed to be very similar and hard to keep straight for me. I would rather learn about specific things verses a large amount of motions that I may not be able to recall a minute after reading.

5) What did you read in the chapter that you think will be most useful to in understanding Sensation / Perception?

I think that all of the chapter is useful, the chapter builds off of itself really well. Starting with discussing dizziness and motion and than getting in depth with how the processes within us work to be able to determine such things. I think knowing how the mind can process information that we are either in motion or we aren't could be useful in sensation and perception. We may need to at some point know how long it will take our body to recover from a sudden movement or a "dizziness" experience.

6) How, in what ways, does this chapter relate (build on) to the previous chapters?

This chapter doesn't just cover a sense such as the other chapter does however chapter 11 was focused on music and speech perception so this chapter continued more in depth on how we can perceive certain things such as motion. This chapter and the previous chapter haven't just focused on a sense but have went in depth on what makes the senses we are learning about in this class so important and so unique.

7a) What topic would you like to learn more about?
7b) Why?
I would like to learn more about causes of dizziness, the chapter discusses how our body processes being "dizzy" how we know we are dizzy and how the body can tell when we are either in motion or not in motion. It explains how our inner ear can help in the process of determining if we are rotation, what direction we are going and what we are experiencing but I would like to know more about what causes the dizziness that we now know how we experience. I would like to know more about this because like I said earlier I have experienced a lot of dizziness in my lifetime and I have actually had a lot of tests done for this, heart tests, CAT scans and blood pressure/sugar tests but the cause still isn't fully known for me.

8) What ideas related to what you were reading (what did you think about) did you have while reading the chapter?

This chapter made me think about all the games we play just to try to "throw off our balance" we play games like spin the bat, or blindfold people to have them hit a pinata while dizzy however our body is really working really hard that entire time to try to correct this and help tell our mind where we are, what we are experiencing, and how long this is taking place for.

9) Once you are done with your post make list of the terms and terminology you used in your post.
Sense of angular motion, sense of linear motion, sense of tilt, amplitude, vestibular organs, vestibular system, sensation, perception, motion, gravity, self-motion, spatial orientation, cilia, stereocilia, mechanoreceptors, hair cells, synapses, action potentials, hearing, rotation perception, semicircular canals.

Thanks,