Equilibrium Sense

Equilibrium is one of the two proprioceptive sensory systems that provide us with input about the positions and locations of our own bodies in space.

The equilibrium sense, generally associated with balance, provides feedback about the positions and movements of living creatures’ heads and bodies in space. The other system, the kinesthetic sense, gives critical information regarding the orientation of different body parts in relation to one another. While the kinesthetic information needed by the brain comes from joints and muscle fibers throughout the body, the receptors for equilibrium are located in the semicircular canals and vestibular sacs of the inner ear. The equilibrium sense is often referred to as the vestibular sense, and the relevant parts of the inner ear are typically called the vestibular system or apparatus.

The semicircular canals are three lobed and curved tubes arranged at angles roughly perpendicular to one another, with the two vestibular sacs located at their base. Both the canals and sacs contain fluid and tiny hair cells, which act as receptors. When an individual's head moves, the fluid disturbs the hair cells which stimulate a branch of the auditory nerve, signaling the brain to make adjustments in the eyes and body. A movement at any given angle will have its primary effect on one of the three canals. Overstimulation from extreme or very abrupt movements will produce dizziness and nausea in humans. Humans’ sense of body position when at rest is provided by the vestibular sacs, which contain small crystals called otoliths (literally, “ear stones” ) that exert pressure on the hair cells. In their resting position, the otoliths inform our brains that we are standing or sitting upright. When the head is tilted, the position of the otoliths changes, and the signal sent to the brain changes accordingly. The neural connections of the vestibular system lead to the cerebellum, the eye muscles, and a portion of the autonomic nervous system involved in digestion (which accounts for the link between dizziness and nausea).

See also Autonomic nervous system ; Hearing ; Localization (sensory) ; Sensation .

Resources

BOOKS

Baum, Andrew, Tracey A. Revenson, and Jerome E. Singer. Handbook of Health Psychology. New York: Psychology Press, 2012.

Bremner, Andrew J., David J. Lewkowicz, and Charles Spence. Multisensory Development. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2012.

Groome, David. An Introduction to Cognitive Psychology: Processes and Disorders. Hoboken, NJ: Taylor and Francis, 2013.

Hamilton, Andy. The Self in Question: Memory, the Body and Self-Consciousness. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.

Purves, Dale. Neuroscience. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, 2012.

PERIODICALS

Goble, Daniel J., et al. “Brain Activity during Ankle Proprioceptive Stimulation Predicts Balance Performance in Young and Older Adults.” The Journal of Neuroscience 31, no. 45 (November 9, 2011): 16344–16352.

WEBSITES

American Psychological Association: Time Capsule. “William James and the Sixth Sense.” http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/sixth-sense.aspx (accessed November 13, 2014).

cbass.com. “From the desk of Clarence Bass: Balance. Unappreciated, Misunderstood, and Neglected.” http://www.cbass.com/Balance.htm (accessed November 13, 2014).

livestrong.com. “Factors of Body Equilibrium & Balance.” http://www.livestrong.com/article/49331-factors-body-equilibrium-balance/ (accessed November 13, 2014).

Physiopedia. “Proprioception.” http://www.physiopedia.com/Proprioception (accessed November 13, 2014).