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Abnormal vestibular responses to vertical head motion in cerebellar ataxia
Author(s) -
Liao Ke,
Walker Mark F.,
Leigh R. John
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.21407
Subject(s) - otolith , vestibulo–ocular reflex , vestibular system , cerebellar ataxia , reflex , ataxia , nystagmus , medicine , physical medicine and rehabilitation , audiology , gait , cerebellum , gait ataxia , neuroscience , psychology , anatomy , biology , fishery , fish <actinopterygii>
Falls pose an important problem to neurologists caring for patients with cerebellar disorders. Normal human gait is characterized by prominent up‐and‐down linear head movements (vertical translations). Thus, we asked whether patients with cerebellar gait ataxia showed abnormal responses of otolithic vestibuloocular reflexes to this motion. Compared with healthy subjects, all cerebellar patients showed impaired otolith‐ocular responses. Neurologists often test the rotational vestibuloocular reflexes in cerebellar patients, but our results indicate that vestibular responses to vertical linear motion are severely affected. Impairment of the corresponding otolith‐spinal reflexes may contribute substantially to falls. Ann Neurol 2008