Torsional deviations with voluntary saccades caused by a unilateral midbrain lesion
- 1 Department of Neurology, Klinikum Großhadern, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
- 2 Institute of Anatomy, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
- Dr Stefan Glasauer, Department of Neurology, Klinikum Großhadern, Ludwig Maximilians University, Marchioninistr 23, 81377 Munich, Germany; S.Glasauer{at}lrz.uni-muenchen.de
- Received 4 March 2007
- Revised 27 April 2007
- Accepted 1 May 2007
- Published Online First 15 May 2007
Abstract
Three dimensional eye rotations were measured using the magnetic search coil technique in a patient with a lesion of the right rostral interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus (RIMLF) and in four control subjects. Up to 10° contralesional torsional deviations with each voluntary saccade were revealed, which also could be seen during bedside examination. There was no spontaneous nystagmus. Based on MRI criteria, the lesion involved the RIMLF but spared the interstitial nucleus of Cajal. To date, this deficit has not been described in patients. Our results support the hypothesis that the vertical–torsional saccade generator in humans is organised similarly as in monkeys: each RIMLF encodes torsional saccades in one direction, while both participate in vertical saccades.
Footnotes
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Funding: Marie Curie Early Stage Training (MEST-CT-2004-007825 “SensoPrim”) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG Gl 342/1-3).
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Competing interests: None.
- Abbreviations:
- INC
- interstitial nucleus of Cajal
- RIMLF
- right rostral interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus
