Somatic Nervous System - Barany Chair

Barany Chair Our Senses ■ How many senses do humans have? ■ Common answer: Five (sight, taste, hearing, touch, smell) ■ There are other senses, such as the ability to sense your own body movement or a change in motion. • Senses can send false information, which can affect decision making in the operation of aircraft, other vehicles, or other activities. Sensing Yaw Motion ■ The rider (in the Barany chair) is blindfolded and given sound deadening ear protectors to isolate the vestibular sense. ■ The chair is pushed uniformly and smoothly. ■ The rider is asked to indicate the direction he or she is moving by pointing his or her thumbs. What Happened? Occular Nystagmus Rhythmic, oscillating motions of the eye caused by a sudden stop in angular motion. The continued motion of the endolymph fluid in the semicircular canal "tricks" the brain into believing that the body is still moving The rider's eyes shift to track objects in the room, even though the motion has stopped.