Contribution of the otholiths to the human torsional vestibulo-ocular reflex
article
The dynamic contribution of the otoliths to the human ocular torsion response was examined during passive sinusoidal body roll about an earth-horizontal axis (varying otolith input) and about an earth-vertical axis (unvarying otolith input). At a fixed amplitude of 25°, the stimulus frequency was varied from 0.05 to 0.4Hz. The otoliths affected the ocular torsion response in three different ways. First, the gain of the slow component velocity was slightly, but consistently, higher with varying otolith input as compared to unvarying otolith inputs. Second, and more importantly, contribution of the otoliths improved the response dynamics by reducing the phase lead at frequencies up to 0.20Hz. Third, the nystagmus showed considerably less anti-compensatory saccades with varying otolith input than with unvarying otolith input, even though the slow component velocity was lower in the latter. We conclude that the primary concern of the otolith-oculomotor system is to stabilize eye position in space rather than to prevent retinal blur.
Topics
NystagmusOcular torsionOtolithsSaccadesVORadultarticleeye movementfemalehead tiltinghumanhuman experimentmalenormal humannystagmusoculographyoculomotor systemotolithpriority journalsaccadic eye movementvestibuloocular reflexAdultElectrooculographyEye DiseasesFemaleHumansMaleNystagmus, OptokineticOtolithic MembraneReflex, Vestibulo-OcularRotationSaccadesTorsionVideo Recording
TNO Identifier
9481
Source
Journal of Vestibular Research, 9(1), pp. 27 - 36.
Pages
27 - 36
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