Elegant sensory structures in the inner ear have evolved to measure head motion. These vestibular receptors consist of highly conserved semicircular canals and otolith organs. Unlike other senses, vestibular information in the central nervous system becomes immediately multisensory and multimodal. There is no overt, readily recognizable conscious sensation from these organs, yet vestibular signals contribute to a surprising range of brain functions, from the most automatic reflexes to spatial perception and motor coordination. Critical to these diverse, multimodal functions are multiple computationally intriguing levels of processing. For example, the need for multisensory integration necessitates vestibular representations in multiple reference frames. Proprioceptive-vestibular interactions, coupled with corollary discharge of a motor plan, allow the brain to distinguish actively generated from passive head movements. Finally, nonlinear interactions between otolith and canal signals allow the vestibular system to function as an inertial sensor and contribute critically to both navigation and spatial orientation.

中文翻译：

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前庭系统：多模态感觉的许多方面。

内耳中优雅的感觉结构已经进化到可以测​​量头部运动。这些前庭受体由高度保守的半规管和耳石器官组成。与其他感官不同，中枢神经系统中的前庭信息立即成为多感官和多模态的。这些器官没有明显的、容易识别的有意识的感觉，但前庭信号有助于惊人的大脑功能范围，从最自动的反射到空间知觉和运动协调。对于这些不同的、多模式的函数来说，关键是多个计算上有趣的处理级别。例如，多感官整合的需要需要在多个参考系中进行前庭表征。本体感觉-前庭相互作用，加上运动计划的必然放电，让大脑区分主动产生的头部运动和被动的头部运动。最后，耳石和耳道信号之间的非线性相互作用允许前庭系统充当惯性传感器，并对导航和空间定位做出重要贡献。