The vestibular system includes part of the inner ear used for balance and locomotor control called the labyrinth, made of tubes and pouches containing fluids and the otolith organs. These receptors send nerve inputs to various targets in the brain including the brainstem, the cerebellum, and centers for control of visual gaze; there also is an efferent pathway from the brain to modulate the receptor activity. Recent advances have been made in the understanding the development of the labyrinth and vestibular brainstem, the contribution to information processing of ionic currents in the hair cell mechanoreceptors and the primary afferent nerves, the expression of molecular markers by vestibular neurons, and the cellular and systems processes responsible for motor learning. Modeling has assumed new importance in directing experiments, and there is a new emphasis on the impact of the otoliths and of spatial orientation on gaze, posture, and locomotion. This meeting reviews newer approaches to the study of the vestibular system, specifically to encourage dialog among workers bringing experience from a range of approaches and disciplines of vestibular work, and specific support is for younger students and researchers to attend. This conference is likely to hate an impact beyond simply vestibular neurobiology, into areas of computational neuroscience and modeling, visual neuroscience, and behavioral neuroscience.
