New Books Network Jeffrey D. Sharon, "The Great Balancing Act: An Insider's Guide to the Human Vestibular System" (Columbia UP, 2025)
Oct 21, 2025
Jeffrey D. Sharon, a vestibular physician-researcher and director of a Balance and Fall Center, dives into the fascinating world of the vestibular system. He highlights its critical role in balance, spatial orientation, and even thought processes. Sharon shares intriguing insights about the evolution of gravity sensing, the challenges of vestibular conditions like vertigo and Meniere's disease, and emerging treatments such as gene therapy and vestibular implants. With a blend of neuroscience and humor, he makes complex concepts accessible and engaging.
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Vestibular System Basics
- The vestibular system senses movement, gravity, and head turns via inner ear structures and brain processing.
- It integrates with vision and somatosensation to provide orientation and stable perception.
Gravity Sensing By Ear Crystals
- Evolution built gravity sensing as a plumb-line using dense ear crystals atop hair cells in the vestibule.
- Misplaced crystals explain predictable disorders like BPPV where head tilts trigger false spinning sensations.
How Semicircular Canals Work
- Semicircular canals detect rotational acceleration via inertial fluid pushing against the cupula.
- Hair cells in the cupula transduce that wall deflection into nerve signals for head-turn sensing.
