title: Eye movements due to linear accelerations in the rabbit.
abstract: 1. Compensatory vertical or torsional eye movements of rabbits caused by linear accelerations along the transverse or sagittal axis were measured.  Sinusoidal accelerations (parallel swing) in a frequency range of 0-068--1-22 Hz and acceleration steps (linear track) of 0-02--0-11 g were applied.  2. On the parallel swing, properties of the maculo-ocular reflexes were similar for transverse and sagittal acceleration.  Gain (rotation of eye/rotation of the resultant linear vector) proved to be very low: about 0-1 for 0-3 Hz and smaller than 0-01 for frequencies above 1-0 Hz.  The decrease in gain was accompanied by an increase in phase lag to about 180degrees.  No non-linearity was revealed by the use of different amplitudes (10--30 cm).  3. On the linear track, eye deviation after an acceleration step took many seconds to develop fully.  Gain increased with time and was about 0-65 after 5 sec.  4. The results indicate that the responses of the otoliths, as reflected in maculo-ocular reactions, are very slow.  Fluctuations in the direction of gravity seem to be averaged over several seconds by the system.  This may explain that erratic linear accelerations(frequency greater than 1 Hz) during locomotion or transport do not lead to eye movements or disorientation.
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration; D000818:Animals; D005133:Eye Movements; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000502:physiology; D009068:Movement; D011817:Rabbits / Q000502:physiology*; D012018:Reflex; D012399:Rotation; D013997:Time Factors