Slow Eye Movements in Patients with Neurological Disorders

Abstract

Gain (eye velocity/stimulus velocity) of vestibular and optokinetic nystagmus, gain of smooth pursuit, and degree of visual suppression of caloric nystagmus were estimated in normal subjects and in patients with vestibular neuronitis, and disorders in frontal cortex, cerebellum or brain stem. It was found that the visual tests discriminated better between disorders of central origin than did the vestibular test. Visual suppression of caloric nystagmus was more frequently defective in patients with decreased gains of optokinetic nystagmus and smooth pursuit than in patients with normal results on visual tests.