Extending the functional cerebral systems theory of emotion to the vestibular modality: A systematic and integrative approach.

Abstract

Throughout history, vestibular and emotional dysregulation have often manifested together in clinical settings, with little consideration that they may have a common basis. Regarding vestibular mechanisms, the role of brainstem and cerebellar structures has been emphasized in the neurological literature, whereas emotion processing in the cerebral hemispheres has been the focus in psychology. A conceptual model is proposed that links research in the 2 disparate fields by means of a functional cerebral systems framework. The claim is that frontal regions exert regulatory control over posterior systems for sensation and autonomic functions in a dense, interconnected network. Impairment at levels within the system is expected to influence vestibular and cognitive processes depending on the extent of frontal regulatory capacity. M. Kinsbourne's (1980) shared cerebral space model specifies the conditions under which dysfunction of the vestibular modality will influence higher cognitive levels. A position on laterality and associative relations within the right hemisphere is proposed to explain links among dizziness, nausea, and negative emotion.