The efficacy of early rehabilitation in enhancing vestibular compensation in mice with unilateral vestibular neurectomy by promoting cellular proliferation and glial reaction.

Acute peripheral vestibular dysfunction is associated with a variety of postural and balance disturbances. Vestibular rehabilitation training (VRT) is widely acknowledged as an effective intervention for promoting vestibular compensation. Nevertheless, the broader implementation of early VRT is hindered by an incomplete understanding of its neurobiological mechanisms. Building upon prior research, the present study investigates the effects of early VRT on postural behavior and the cellular mechanisms within the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) following unilateral vestibular neurectomy (UVN) in a murine model. Through the use of progressive motorized running wheel training, we assessed vestibular syndrome, motor function behaviors, and plasticity events, including cell proliferation and gliogenesis within the MVN. Our findings suggest that VRT facilitates the recovery of postural motor deficits during vestibular compensation, likely mediated by cell proliferation and glial responses, particularly the proliferation of microglia, in the MVN. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ultra-early rehabilitation training yields greater benefits for the long-term recovery of dynamic deficits following UVN. These results carry significant implications for the clinical implementation of early VRT in patients experiencing acute peripheral vestibular dysfunction.