title: Saccade sequences as markers for cerebral dysfunction following mild closed head injury.
abstract: Diffuse axonal injury caused by mild closed head injury (CHI) is likely to affect the neural networks concerned with the planning and execution of sequences of memory-guided saccades. Thirty subjects with mild CHI and thirty controls were tested on 2- and 3-step sequences of memory-guided saccades. CHI subjects showed more directional errors, larger position errors, and hypermetria of primary saccades and final eye position. No deficits were seen in temporal accuracy (timing and rhythm). These results suggest that computerized tests of saccade sequences can provide sensitive markers of cerebral dysfunction after mild CHI.
authors.affiliation: Christchurch Movement Disorders and Brain Research Group, Department of Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Christchurch, New Zealand. marcus.heitger@chmeds.ac.nz
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Heitger
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012438:Saccades / Q000502:physiology*