Neural mechanisms involved in the control of the eye-head-neck co-ordinated movement: a review of literature with an emphasis on future directions for the chiropractic profession.
Pathways for visual (sensory) information into the CNS are explained. The hypothesized areas where this sensory information begins to initiate the motor program include the periarcuate area, superior colliculus, and the areas of the motor program such as the Cortex, superior colliculus and reticular formation, along with the control exerted on the systems via the cerebellum and vestibular nuclei. The information demonstrates that the co-ordinated movements of eye-head-neck towards a goal, involves a number of parallel independently active neural centres which initiate the movements. However, there is continuous monitoring of these separate pathways by areas of the CNS in order to achieve that salient feature of the CNS, co-ordinated motion. A method of assessing the system, which will provide valuable information for the clinician and will be a rewarding area of research for the chiropractic profession is herein described.
D000818:Animals; D002684:Chiropractic; D004576:Electromyography; D005133:Eye Movements; D006801:Humans; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000294:innervation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012154:Reticular Formation / Q000502:physiology; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000502:physiology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology*