Biomaterial Database

Vestibulo-ocular reflex. 1995

M Dieterich, and T Brandt

Department of Neurology, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Germany.

Recent animal and clinical studies on the vestibulo-ocular reflex deal with a number of physiological and clinical aspects from which three were chosen for this review: (1) the torsional vestibulo-ocular reflex and its disorders; (2) the otolith contribution to the vestibulo-ocular reflex; and (3) neurotransmitters, neuropharmacological aspects, and medical treatment. Disorders of the vestibulo-ocular reflex can be classified according to the three major planes of action, yaw plane, pitch plane, and roll plane, which equate with horizontal nystagmus, upbeat or downbeat nystagmus, and torsional nystagmus, respectively. The particular interest in the torsional vestibulo-ocular reflex arises from new methods for measuring ocular torsion, especially the three-dimensional eye-movement recordings with scleral coils. These methods make it possible to do three-dimensional analysis of the differential effects of horizontal and vertical semicircular canal function and their individual disorders of the torsional vestibulo-ocular reflex. Otolith and semicircular canal inputs converge at the level of the vestibular nuclei to subserve static graviceptive and dynamic torsional and pitch function. The elaboration of the particular sensorial weight of the input from either the otoliths or the semicircular canal is currently a challenge for both physiologists and neurologists. Disorders of otolith function, still absent from the diagnostic repertoire of most neurologists, are increasingly being reported. The most promising developments in therapeutic measures may come from research on vestibular neurotransmitters, their agonists and antagonists. A number of pharmacological agents are effective suppressants of pathological eye movements. However, systematic prospective studies are needed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010037	Otolithic Membrane	A gelatinous membrane overlying the acoustic maculae of SACCULE AND UTRICLE. It contains minute crystalline particles (otoliths) of CALCIUM CARBONATE and protein on its outer surface. In response to head movement, the otoliths shift causing distortion of the vestibular hair cells which transduce nerve signals to the BRAIN for interpretation of equilibrium.	Otoconia,Otoliths,Statoconia,Membrane, Otolithic,Membranes, Otolithic,Otoconias,Otolith,Otolithic Membranes,Statoconias
D012027	Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular	A reflex wherein impulses are conveyed from the cupulas of the SEMICIRCULAR CANALS and from the OTOLITHIC MEMBRANE of the SACCULE AND UTRICLE via the VESTIBULAR NUCLEI of the BRAIN STEM and the median longitudinal fasciculus to the OCULOMOTOR NERVE nuclei. It functions to maintain a stable retinal image during head rotation by generating appropriate compensatory EYE MOVEMENTS.	Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex,Reflex, Vestibuloocular,Reflexes, Vestibo-Ocular,Reflexes, Vestibuloocular,Reflex, Vestibulo Ocular,Reflexes, Vestibo Ocular,Vestibo-Ocular Reflexes,Vestibulo Ocular Reflex,Vestibuloocular Reflex,Vestibuloocular Reflexes
D005133	Eye Movements	Voluntary or reflex-controlled movements of the eye.	Eye Movement,Movement, Eye,Movements, Eye
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D015835	Ocular Motility Disorders	Disorders that feature impairment of eye movements as a primary manifestation of disease. These conditions may be divided into infranuclear, nuclear, and supranuclear disorders. Diseases of the eye muscles or oculomotor cranial nerves (III, IV, and VI) are considered infranuclear. Nuclear disorders are caused by disease of the oculomotor, trochlear, or abducens nuclei in the BRAIN STEM. Supranuclear disorders are produced by dysfunction of higher order sensory and motor systems that control eye movements, including neural networks in the CEREBRAL CORTEX; BASAL GANGLIA; CEREBELLUM; and BRAIN STEM. Ocular torticollis refers to a head tilt that is caused by an ocular misalignment. Opsoclonus refers to rapid, conjugate oscillations of the eyes in multiple directions, which may occur as a parainfectious or paraneoplastic condition (e.g., OPSOCLONUS-MYOCLONUS SYNDROME). (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p240)	Brown Syndrome,Brown Tendon Sheath Syndrome,Brown's Syndrome,Convergence Insufficiency,Eye Movement Disorders,Internuclear Ophthalmoplegia,Ocular Torticollis,Opsoclonus,Parinaud Syndrome,Skew Deviation,Smooth Pursuit Deficiency,Brown's Tendon Sheath Syndrome,Convergence Excess,Cyclophoria,Deficiency, Smooth Pursuit,Eye Motility Disorders,Parinaud's Syndrome,Paroxysmal Ocular Dyskinesia,Pseudoophthalmoplegia,Spasm of Conjugate Gaze,Syndrome, Brown's Tendon Sheath,Tendon Sheath Syndrome of Brown,Browns Syndrome,Conjugate Gaze Spasm,Conjugate Gaze Spasms,Convergence Excesses,Convergence Insufficiencies,Cyclophorias,Deficiencies, Smooth Pursuit,Deviation, Skew,Deviations, Skew,Dyskinesia, Paroxysmal Ocular,Dyskinesias, Paroxysmal Ocular,Excess, Convergence,Eye Motility Disorder,Eye Movement Disorder,Gaze Spasms, Conjugate,Insufficiencies, Convergence,Insufficiency, Convergence,Internuclear Ophthalmoplegias,Ocular Dyskinesia, Paroxysmal,Ocular Dyskinesias, Paroxysmal,Ocular Motility Disorder,Ophthalmoplegia, Internuclear,Ophthalmoplegias, Internuclear,Parinauds Syndrome,Paroxysmal Ocular Dyskinesias,Pseudoophthalmoplegias,Pursuit Deficiencies, Smooth,Pursuit Deficiency, Smooth,Skew Deviations,Smooth Pursuit Deficiencies,Syndrome, Brown,Syndrome, Brown's,Syndrome, Parinaud,Syndrome, Parinaud's
D018377	Neurotransmitter Agents	Substances used for their pharmacological actions on any aspect of neurotransmitter systems. Neurotransmitter agents include agonists, antagonists, degradation inhibitors, uptake inhibitors, depleters, precursors, and modulators of receptor function.	Nerve Transmitter Substance,Neurohormone,Neurohumor,Neurotransmitter Agent,Nerve Transmitter Substances,Neurohormones,Neurohumors,Neuromodulator,Neuromodulators,Neuroregulator,Neuroregulators,Neurotransmitter,Neurotransmitters,Substances, Nerve Transmitter,Transmitter Substances, Nerve,Substance, Nerve Transmitter,Transmitter Substance, Nerve