Glossary

Autonomic nervous system

The part of the nervous system that regulates automatic functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and temperature.

Dysautonomia

A broad term for conditions in which autonomic control is impaired or inefficient, including patterns like POTS.

POTS

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: excessive heart-rate rise on standing with chronic orthostatic intolerance symptoms, diagnosed by clinicians using established criteria.

Vestibular system

The inner-ear organs and brain pathways that sense head motion and help maintain balance and spatial orientation.

PPPD

Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness: a chronic vestibular disorder with defined criteria, often involving dizziness worsened by upright posture, movement and complex visual environments.

Oculomotor

Relating to eye movements — tracking, jumping between targets, near focusing teamwork and stability during head motion.

Neuroplasticity

The nervous system's ability to change its structure and function through experience and well-dosed practice.

Dual-task

Performing a thinking task and a movement or balance task at the same time — closer to real life than either alone.

Vestibular migraine

Recurrent vestibular symptoms in a person with migraine features, described by consensus diagnostic criteria.

Sub-symptom threshold exercise

Physical activity kept below the level that meaningfully provokes concussion-related symptoms, used in some guided recovery protocols.

Orthostatic

Related to moving to an upright posture; orthostatic symptoms appear or worsen with sitting or standing.

Sensorimotor

The integration of sensory input and motor output — how the brain uses information to guide movement and stability.

Definitions are educational. They are not diagnostic criteria and do not replace advice from your clinicians.

Back to education hub · Research library