Saccadic oscillations: membrane, model and medicine

Abstract

Saccadic oscillations are continuous back-to-back saccades that cause excessive image motion across fovea and threaten clear vision. Acquired processes, related to immune or metabolic mechanisms, are common culprits. Saccadic oscillations are also seen in degenerative cerebellar disease or as a part of a familial syndrome of saccadic oscillations and limb tremor. Some normal individuals have innate ability to voluntarily trigger saccadic oscillations (i.e., voluntary nystagmus). Contemporary theory for the pathogenesis for saccadic oscillations has emphasized a hyperexcitable or disinhibited state of the brainstem saccadic burst neuron membrane. This review discusses etiologies and treatment of saccadic oscillations in light of a novel cell membrane-based theory.

Keywords::

• computational simulation
• genetic
• ion channels
• opsoclonus
• oscillopsia
• paraneoplastic
• saccade

Acknowledgements

The author thanks David S Zee for providing the movie clip and Benjamin Miller for reviewing the manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.