The present invention provides a method of identifying a compound that modulates a mammalian vestibular system. The method consists of administerin g a test compound to an invertebrate, and measuring a geotactic behavior of th e invertebrate, where a compound tht modulates the geotactic behavior of said invertebrate is characterized as a compound that modulates a mammalian vestibular system. The invention also provides a method of identifying a gen e that modulates a mammalian vestibular system consisting of obtaining a first and a second strain of an invertebrate; subjecting the first and second invertebrate strains to conditions in which the first strain exhibits a geotactic behavior different than a geotactic behavior exhibited by the seco nd strain; measuring gene expression levels in the first and second strains, an d identifying one or more genes that are differentially expressed in the first strain relative to the second strain, whereby a mammalian gene having substantially the same nucleic acid sequence as the one or more differential ly expressed genes modulates the mammalian vestibular system.
METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING COMPOUNDS FOR MOTION SICKNESS, VERTIGO AND OTHER DISORDERS RELATED TO BALANCE AND THE PERCEPTION OF GRAVITY