title: A common mechanism for the control of eye and head movements in humans.
abstract: How the human brain controls the subtle coupling between eye and head movements is still debated. The brain could either coordinate two separate (eye and head) networks or use a single system involved in gaze (eye + head) control. In a recent report, a total transfer from eye to head movements was observed in a patient with congenital ophthalmoplegia. This led the authors to hypothesize that such transfer resulted from a long-term adaptation between oculomotor and head movement systems. We report on a patient in whom a similar transfer was observed but at the acute stage of an acquired ophthalmoplegia. This case demonstrates that the transfer between head and eye movements does not necessarily require long-term adaptation and supports the hypothesis of a common unique gaze motor command in which eye and head movements would be rapidly exchangeable.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U289, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gaymard
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Siegler
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rivaud-Péchoux
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Israel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pierrot-Desilligny
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berthoz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D007839:Functional Laterality; D019416:Head Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009886:Ophthalmoplegia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011149:Pons / Q000473:pathology*