Welcome to the 21st WCP Virtual Congress Program Scheduling

Vestibular signals in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Change in human sensory performance is an early indicator of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Sensory performance can be used to monitor the efficacy of interventions (physical e.g., GVS, rTMS and drug). The human balance system has intimate links to the emotional and behavioural parts of the brain. In this workshop we present current clinical research focussed on vestibular related signals and therapies in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. We propose 3 presentations within the workshop: Prof Paul Smith (New Zealand) titled “The vestibular system, memory, and the hippocampus” which will provide evidence that vestibular input to the hippocampus is stratified and may be used for different purposes according to the hippocampal subregion implying a relationship between vestibular dysfunction and affective disorders. Dr Ana Marie Soza Reid (Chair, Chile) titled “Vestibular Stimulation coadjuvant treatment for resistant major depression” which will demonstrate how unilateral vestibular stimulation can be applied to significantly diminish the depression score and restore vestibular activity in treatment-resistant major depression. Prof Brian Lithgow (Australia/Canada) titled “Predicting rTMS efficacy and Diagnosing Dementia type using Electrovestibulography” which will show how an increase in cerebrovascular symptomatology in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) can be detected in the vestibular system and be related to rTMS stimulus response efficacy.