Impaired vestibular-neck interaction in cerebellar patients

Background: Vestibulospinal reflexes play an important role in postural and locomotor control. For appropriate functioning of these reflexes, vestibular and proprioceptive sensory signals must be integrated. Single unit recordings from the fastigial nucleus in rhesus monkeys indicate that the cerebellum is important for such vestibulo-proprioceptive interaction. This study examines if the integration of vestibular and proprioceptive signals is impaired in patients with cerebellar disease. Methods: Vestibulo-proprioceptive interaction was investigated in patients with cerebellar disorders of various etiologies. B…