Vestibular Dysfunction-Ear, Brain or Both?
I wanted to choose a condition that involves perceptual issues but is seemingly
unrelated to the receiving organs capabilities. Since I wanted to learn about a condition
that occurs in the brain to alter perception, I thought vestibular dysfunction after
traumatic brain injury in adults would be a good fit. My prior knowledge of the middle
and inner ear from my anatomy classes reminds me of the fact that issues with
microscopic crystals in the ear can cause issues with vertigo and dizziness. Something
like a TBI certainly sounds like it could knock those crystals loose and cause issues for
a patient, so wouldn’t it make sense to address and resolve that issue? This class is all
about how we process sensations and perceive the world around us, so it makes sense
that we are tasked with investigating conditions or injuries that can alter our sensation or
perception. Upon diving into a research study based out of New Zealand, it appears that
middle and inner ear function is affected by TBI and there is a high prevalence of
abnormalities upon completion of certain function tests, which did include patients with
varied results in attempted crystal/particle repositioning (Taylor et al., 2022).
Crampton, A., Teel, E., Chevignard, M., & Gagnon, I. (2021). Vestibular-ocular reflex
dysfunction following mild traumatic brain injury: A narrative review.
Neurochirurgie, 67(3), 231–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuchi.2021.01.002
Mather, G. (2015). Foundations of sensation and perception (2nd ed., pp. 99-107).
Routledge.
Taylor, R. L., Wise, K. J., Taylor, D., Chaudary, S., & Thorne, P. R. (2022). Patterns of
vestibular dysfunction in chronic traumatic brain injury. Frontiers in Neurology,
13(1664-2295). https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2022.942349
Highlight guide for sources:
Yellow=interesting info
Green=treatments
Blue=symptoms
Pink=causes (suspected and confirmed)
Red=gaps/problems
1. What is the smallest distance (0.3, 0.7, or 1 inch) at which you think you
and your partner can still feel two points on the palm of your hand?
2. What body part will record the highest number of correct answers?
3. Did your results confirm or reject the hypotheses you made at the beginning
(step 2)?
4. How could you explain your results using this module's material?
5. Confounding variables: If you noticed any significant difference in response in
one body part between you and the participant(s), what could have influenced
the responses? (e.g., age? Type of work of the participants? Injury? etc.).
6. Why was it important for all participants to have their eyes closed?
7. What do you think about this sensitivity test? In what real-life events could this
test be delivered and why? How could we improve this pilot attempt?
Hypothesis: I will be able to feel every contact, down to 0.3” especially on my back due
to hypersensitivity, but my partner will have more typical reactions to stimulation and not
be able to identify each contact past 0.7” with any body part. The fingertip will likely be
able to correctly identify the highest number of contacts.
My results rejected by hypothesis. I’ve always considered myself to be extra sensitive to
physical stimulation, to the point where someone rubbing their finger/hand on my arm
while cuddling me will turn into painful pins and needles, but this experiment
demonstrated that I am not infallible to the reality of human perception. I struggled to
detect both points once we got to 0.7” after the fingertip, of course. My partner was able
to detect almost all stimulation besides the back on 0.3”. But for both of us, it was hard
to identify two points once we got down to 0.3”. I think this is because I was expecting
this brief stimulation, compared to unexpected, continued stimulation, so the initial
reaction and perception of the touch was altered. I was probably distracted which
contributed to my lack of response, have to thank ADHD and a busy life for that. My
partner’s experience makes sense as he usually has a calmer mind than I do and that
allowed him to be more present for the activity. Having our eyes closed assists in
preventing knowledge of the presentation of stimulation and by ensuring that we cannot
“cheat” by seeing the distance of the pokes to gauge a “correct” response. This is a
great test to be able to do outside of a lab, as it demonstrates a complex anatomical
process in a simple manner. I imagine this is used by neurologists and ER doctors to be
able to determine the functioning of the somatosensory cortex after illness or injury,
without complex equipment and drastic costs.
However, I think that this exercise is discriminatory, at best. In this economy, I don’t
know anyone who still buys toothpicks that aren’t the dental kind with the floss on the
other end. This concept could have been demonstrated or explained in another format
or instead, we could have just watched the video and delivered a thoughtful response
about somatosensory processing in relation to the textbook. Assuming a student has,
not only the physical resources, but the time to make arts and crafts, sure, this is a great
exercise to really drive home the concept, but is otherwise counterproductive to those
who do not have the resources to do an art project to get a good grade. I work a fulltime and a part-time job and go to school full-time, I don’t have time or money to make
an art project for a grade if I’m not in an art class, especially an online psychology class.
I hope this is considered for your future online classes.