Oculomotor function in Wernicke-Korsakoff's syndrome: II. Smooth pursuit eye movements.
Smooth pursuit eye movements were studied in three patients with alcoholic Korsakoff's syndrome, one with Wernicke's encephalopathy, and an age-matched control. Horizontal smooth pursuit eye movements were abnormal in all patients: peak eye velocity and the ability to sustain smooth eye velocity were reduced. Also, smooth pursuit gain began to decrease at relatively low target velocities (i.e., 8-10 degrees). These data demonstrate a severe disturbance in smooth pursuit function long after the clinically apparent oculomotor abnormalities have passed.
D000375:Aging; D000425:Alcohol Amnestic Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D003704:Dementia / Q000503:physiopathology; D005133:Eye Movements; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011698:Pursuit, Smooth; D014899:Wernicke Encephalopathy / Q000503:physiopathology*