Motor development after vestibular deprivation in rats

This review summarizes the postural development in the rat and the influences of vestibular deprivation from the 5th postnatal day on this development. Vestibular deprivation leads to a delay in motor development. Most probably this delay is caused by a delay in the development of postural control, which is characterized by a retarded EMG development in postural muscles. Our results indicate that the developing nervous system cannot compensate for a vestibular deficit during the early phase of ontogeny. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.