title: Off-vertical axis rotation: a test of the otolith-ocular reflex.
abstract: The vestibulo-ocular reflex was studied via off-vertical axis rotation (OVAR) in the dark. The axis of the turntable could be tilted from vertical by up to 30 degrees. Eye movements were measured with electro-oculography. Results from healthy asymptomatic subjects indicated that 1) a reliable otolith-induced response could be obtained during constant velocity OVAR using a velocity of 60 degrees/s with a tilt of 30 degrees; 2) constant velocity OVAR rotation was nausea-producing and, especially if subjects were rotated in the dark about an earth-vertical axis prior to being tilted, disorienting; and 3) sinusoidal OVAR produced minimal nausea; the eye movement response appeared to be the result of a combination of semicircular canal and otolith components. We conclude that OVAR has the potential of becoming a useful method for clinically assessing both the otolith-ocular reflex and semicircular canal-otolith interaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Eye and Ear Institute of Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Furman
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Schor
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Schumann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009041:Motion Sickness / Q000503:physiopathology; D010037:Otolithic Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D012399:Rotation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity