Personality changes in patients with vestibular dysfunction.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience October 29, 2013 Paul F Smith, Cynthia L Darlington
The vestibular system, which detects head motion and gravitational orientation, not only controls eye movements and posture but also influences cognition, emotion, and the sense of self. Vestibular dysfunction can cause depersonalization and derealization—feelings of being "spaced out" or not in control of one's body—suggesting that vestibular signals contribute to self-awareness. This review proposes that the vestibular system supports the concept of self by providing information about self-motion and self-location to brain regions like the temporo-parietal junction.