title: Cognitive demand affects the gain of the torsional optokinetic response.
abstract: Cognitive tasks such as mental arithmetic and fixation of imagined targets are known to affect vestibular nystagmus. Here we show that another cognitive task-subject's active control of the rotation of a single moving visual line in an otherwise darkened room-influences the gain of the torsional optokinetic response to that single moving visual line.
authors.affiliation: Vestibular Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, A19, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Samanthi C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Goonetilleke
authors.forename: Ian S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Curthoys
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Burgess
authors.forename: Hamish G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: MacDougall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017120:Nystagmus, Optokinetic / Q000502:physiology*; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012399:Rotation