Evidence for a vestibulo-cardiac reflex in man

Changes in posture demand rapid cardiovascular adjustments to maintain blood pressure and volume distribution. We demonstrated a vestibulo-cardiac reflex in supine individuals by measuring electrocardiogram and arterial blood pressure after small backwards drops of the head triggered at varying intervals after the R-spike. In normal volunteers heart rate was accelerated by drops occurring within 500–600 ms of a beat, but no rapid effect was noted in patients with a vestibular defect. The speed at which the vestibular signal of head drop accelerated heart rate implies a direct reflex. Impairment of the vestibulo-cardiac reflex would help to explain the vaso-vagal consequences of labyrinthitis.