Research overview: vestibular control and timing of the aerial righting response

The righting reflex begins with sensing which way is down. This overview reviews how the vestibular apparatus of the inner ear detects head orientation and triggers the cascade of head, spine, and limb movements that flip a falling cat upright. The head rotates first, vision and the otolith organs establish the target orientation, and the body follows. Researchers study the timing and sequencing with high-speed video, vestibular lesion experiments in the older literature, and developmental studies showing when kittens acquire the reflex. The minimum height needed to complete the manoeuvre, and the role of vision versus pure vestibular cues, are recurring questions. Understanding this matters for sensorimotor neuroscience and for explaining the surprising survival of cats after falls, the so-called high-rise syndrome pattern reported by veterinarians.