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Oculomotor function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Evidence for frontal impairment
Author(s) -
Shaunak S.,
Orrell R. W.,
O'Sullivan E.,
Hawken M. B.,
Lane R. J. M.,
Henderson L.,
Kennard C.
Publication year - 1995
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.410380109
Subject(s) - smooth pursuit , amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , psychology , antisaccade task , saccade , audiology , saccadic masking , eye movement , neuroscience , fixation (population genetics) , frontal lobe , saccadic eye movement , physical medicine and rehabilitation , medicine , disease , pathology , population , environmental health
Saccadic eye movements, fixation, and smooth pursuit were recorded in 17 subjects with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and 11 age‐matched controls using a magnetic scleral search coil. Reflexive, remembered and antisaccades, and smooth pursuit at four target velocities were studied. Subjects with ALS showed significantly elevated error rates (distractibility) and latency in the antisaccade and remembered saccade paradigms but no abnormality of reflexive saccades. The frequency of small saccades that intruded on steady fixation (square‐wave jerks) was also increased in ALS subjects. Peak velocity gain of smooth pursuit and performance on the Wisconsin Card Sort Test did not differ significantly between the two groups. These findings are consistent with prefrontal dysfunction in ALS and provide an independent source of support for the thesis that the pathology of this condition invades frontal cortex.