Arthrokinetic nystagmus and ego-motion sensation.
A compelling illusion of body rotation and nystagmus can be induced when the horizontally extended arm of a stationary subject is passively rotated about a vertical axis in the shoulder joint. Lateral nystagmus with the fast phase beating in the opposite direction to the arm movement was found consistently; the mean slow phase velocity increased with increasing actual arm velocity and reached about 15 degrees/sec; the mean position of the eyes was deviated towards the fast phase as in optokinetic nystagmus, and the nystagmus continued after the cessation of stimulation (arthrokinetic after-nystagmus). The existence of an arthrokinetic circularvection and nystagmus indicates a convergence of vestibular and somatosensory afferents from joint receptors. It is concluded that information about joint movements plays an important role within the multisensory processes of self-motion perception.
D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology*; D005133:Eye Movements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007088:Illusions; D007596:Joints / Q000502:physiology; D007699:Kinesthesis; D008297:Male; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009039:Motion Perception; D009068:Movement; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000502:physiology