This review focuses on efforts to unravel conundrums on the development of the vestibular system. In the first section, maturation of the peripheral vestibular system and the involvement of transcription factors in the patterning of peripheral vestibular components are highlighted. Cell surface and matrix molecules have also been implicated in fasciculation and guidance of axons in the course of vestibular circuit formation. In rodents, the central vestibular neurons continue to develop after birth until they reach maturity in morphology and function. Sequential maturation of neuronal subpopulations within the developing network of the horizontal and vertical otolith systems is also presented. In another section, the expression pattern of glutamate receptor subunits within the developing vestibular nuclear complex is reviewed in relation to their potential role in regulating postnatal function of the vestibular system. Lastly, postnatal changes in the properties of vestibular nuclear neurons and their capability in coding head movement information appear to prime the development of vestibular-related motor functions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.