Chong and colleagues’ (1999) attribution of loss of balance due to not-so-well-understood vestibular-visual integration can be complemented with findings pertaining to the histaminergic system and the vestibule. Tighilet et al. (2006) show that the histaminergic, thioperamide, allowed nystagmus, posture, and locomotor balance to quickly recover, even when there is unilateral lesion of the vestibule. The work shows that vestibular compensation does not entirely rely upon visual cues, given that nystagmus co-occurs with loss of balance, and that the histamine system is more predictive and could be an opening for the treatment of specific balance deficits in both Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s.

References:
Tighilet B, Trottier S, Mourre C, Lacour M. Changes in the histaminergic system during vestibular compensation in the cat. J Physiol. 2006 Jun 15;573(Pt 3):723-739. Epub 2006 Apr 13. Abstract56364

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