The cervico-ocular reflex in normal subjects and patients with absent vestibular function

doi:10.1016/0006-8993(86)90355-0

Brain Research

Volume 373, Issues 1–2, 14 May 1986, Pages 399-408

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(86)90355-0 Get rights and content

Abstract

The role of the cervico-ocular reflex (COR) has been studied in 12 patients with absent vestibular function and 13 normal subjects. Ramp and sinusoidal displacement stimuli were applied with trunk on head on trunk movements. In all patients, trunk on head movements evoked a marked slow-phase compensatory COR while in normal subjects it was weak and variable in direction. Fast components of the COR induced gaze shifts in the direction of the relative head movement (‘anticompensatory’ direction) which could be suppressed by imagining an earth fixed targed. No tonic component could be identified instead, in the case of ramp stimuli, a residual eye deviation was noted which was significantly enhanced in the patients and resulted from activity dynamically generated during the course of the trunk movement and not from its final angular displacement. Head on trunk ramp displacements in the dark evoked initial anticompensatory saccades followed by slow compensatory components, a pattern of eye movements remarkably similar to that seen during active head-eye target seeking. Thus, in the absence of labyrinthine function, the COR appears to take on the role of the vestibulo-ocular reflex in head-eye coordination in (a) the initiation of the anticompensatory saccade which takes the eyes in the direction of the target, and (b) the generation of the subsequent slow compensatory eye movements. Central pre-programming, as revealed by comparing the effect of different instructions and active versus passive neck-induced eye movements, has a profound influence on COR functioning.

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View full text

The cervico-ocular reflex in normal subjects and patients with absent vestibular function

Abstract

Brain Research

Augenbewegungen, durch Thoraxbewegungen ausgelöst

Zentralbl. Physiol.

Über einige Augen- und Halsmuskelreflexe bei Neugeborenen

Acta Oto-Laryngol.

Cervico-ocular reflex in the normal adult

Acta Oto-Laryngol.

The role of the vestibular system in head-eye coordination

J. Physiol. (London)

Vistibulo-ocular function during co-ordinated head and eye movements to acquire visual targets

J. Physiol. (London)

Head-eye coordination in normals and in patients with vestibular disorders

Adv. Oto-Rhino-Laryngol.

Cervical and vestibular afferent control of oculomotor response in man

Acta Oto-Laryngol.

Voluntary, non-visual control of the human vestibulo-ocular reflex

Acta Oto-Laryngol.

Oscillopsia

Arch. Neurol.

Eye-head coordination in monkeys: evidence for centrally patterned organization

Science

Cervical nystagmus due to loss of cerebellar inhibition on the cervico-ocular reflex: a case report

J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat.

Actions reflexes du labyrinthe et du cou sur les muscles de l'oeil

Arch. Neerl. Physiol.