[Is visual experience necessary for the maturation of vestibular control of eye movement].
The vestibular system contributes to the stabilisation of visual images on the retina by means of vestibulo-ocular compensatory reactions. The development of vestibular control of eye movements has been studied in twelve week old kittens, reared in total darkness, which have been compared with a control group of kittens reared in normal conditions. Post-rotatory nystagmus, nystagmus during sinusoidal oscillations, visual suppression of vestibular nystagmus by fixation, have been used as indicators of the functional state of the vestibulo-ocular control system. The results show that most of the essential features of this control are present in dark-reared kittens. However differences have been noted which possibly concern precise regulation of compensatory movements and head-eye coordination. The frequency of vestibular nystagmus is much smaller in dark-reared animals and the initial deviation of post rotatory nystagmus in the direction of the change of movement is absent in dark-reared kittens. Habituation also seems to operate differently in the two groups of kittens. Visual suppression of vestibular nystagmus is present.
D000054:Acceleration; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D003624:Darkness; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D005133:Eye Movements; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D009759:Nystagmus, Pathologic; D010507:Periodicity; D012018:Reflex; D012399:Rotation; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D014785:Vision, Ocular
L'expérience visuelle est-elle nécessaire à la maturation du contrôle vestibulaire du mouvement des yeux?