Selective impairment of smooth-pursuit eye movements due to an ischemic lesion of the basal pons.
Voluntary and reflex-like eye movements were measured in a patient with an ischemic lesion of the right basal pons. Ipsilateral smooth-pursuit eye movements were predominantly impaired and interrupted by saccades. This profound smooth-pursuit deficit contrasted with only minor abnormalities of visually guided saccades and the vestibulo-ocular reflex. A selective disturbance of smooth-pursuit eye movements due to a lesion of the basal pons in this patient concurs with recent work in monkeys suggesting that smooth-pursuit eye movements are mediated by a parietooccipito-ponto-cerebellar pathway.
Thier
P
P
Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
Bachor
A
A
Faiss
J
J
Dichgans
J
J
Koenig
E
E
D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004585:Electrooculography; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011149:Pons / Q000098:blood supply*; D011698:Pursuit, Smooth / Q000502:physiology*