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Influence of orbital eye position on vertical saccades in progressive supranuclear palsy
Author(s) -
Schneider Rosalyn,
Chen Athena L.,
King Susan A.,
Riley David E.,
Gunzler Steven A.,
Devereaux Michael W.,
Leigh R. John
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06120.x
Subject(s) - progressive supranuclear palsy , saccade , gaze , eye movement , palsy , psychology , audiology , physical medicine and rehabilitation , neuroscience , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , psychoanalysis , atrophy
Disturbance of vertical saccades is a cardinal feature of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). We investigated whether the amplitude and peak velocity (PV) of saccades are affected by the orbital position from which movements start in PSP patients and age‐matched control subjects. Subjects made vertical saccades in response to ±5° vertical target jumps with their heads in one of three positions: head “center,” head pitched forward ∼15°, and head pitched back ∼15°. All patients showed some effect of starting eye position, whether beginning in the upward or downward field of gaze, on saccade amplitude, PV, and net range of movement. Generally, reduction of amplitude and PV were commensurate and bidirectional in the affected hemifield of gaze. Such findings are unlikely to be because of orbital factors and could be explained by varying degrees of involvement of rostral midbrain nuclei in the pathological process.