Evidence of Somatic Graviception from New and Classical Investigations

Abstract

Recent psychophysical experiments have provided evidence of an influence of graviceptors in the human trunk on the perception of body posture that equals or even surpasses the contribution of the otoliths. A reinterpretation of classical results on mammals, notably of the Utrecht school, leads to the conclusion that somatic graviceptors also partake in controlling the posture of eyes, neck and limbs.

Key Words:

• inertial reflex in mammals
• otoliths without maculcae
• effect of sacculectomy