53
Views
137
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Article

Orientation of the Rotation-Axis Relative to Gravity: Its Influence on Nystagmus and the Sensation of Rotation

Pages 30-48 | Received 03 Aug 1964, Published online: 08 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

Subjective phenomena and nystagmus were compared under two conditions of rotation, one in which the axis of rotation was vertical, i.e., aligned with gravity, and one in which the rotation-axis was horizontal. When the axis of rotation was horizontal, normal subjects exhibited nystagmus and sensations of rotation for periods of three minutes (and longer); deceleration produced very brief post-rotational reactions. L-D subjects, men presumed to be without vestibular function, did not exhibit nystagmus or report sensations similar to those of normal subjects for either the vertical or horizontal axis of rotation. Because prolonged nystagmus occurred almost exclusively in normal subjects when the rotation axis was horizontal, it is concluded that vestibular function is a necessary condition for this response and that it may be dependent upon the continuous reorientation of the otolith system relative to gravity. The results emphasize the importance of increasing our range of experimental observations to check the accuracy of theoretical predictions.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.