title: Instability of eye position in the dark in cerebellar degeneration.
abstract: Fourteen cases of spinocerebellar degeneration were examined. While the patients attempted to keep their eyes in the primary position, horizontal eye movements were recorded for 1 min in total darkness by infrared reflection oculography. Instability of eye position in the dark was observed in 10 patients. The range of the eye position error was 3-6 degrees in 6 patients, 6-10 degrees in 3 patients and over 10 degrees in 1 patient. These results indicate that the cerebellum plays an important role in extraretinal (nonvisual) eye position control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Sapporo Medical College, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohtsuka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mukuno
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000503:physiopathology; D003624:Darkness; D004585:Electrooculography; D005133:Eye Movements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013132:Spinocerebellar Degenerations / Q000503:physiopathology*