title: Studies of eccentric gaze stability: effects of pitch head position on horizontal gaze-holding in patients with cerebellar disease.
abstract: We studied the effects of change of head position in the pitch plane on the ability to hold horizontal eccentric gaze in five patients with cerebellar disorders. All patient showed a change in the time constant of horizontal centripetal drift when the head was pitched forward or back. This result suggests that otolithic inputs can influence the neural integrator for horizontal eye movements and indicates the value of testing horizontal gaze holding in different head positions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Neurology Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 10701 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44106-1702, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sng
authors.forename: Jeffrey T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Somers
authors.forename: Millard F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Reschke
authors.forename: R John
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Leigh
mesh_terms: D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D019416:Head Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009759:Nystagmus, Pathologic; D010037:Otolithic Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D011187:Posture; D011930:Reaction Time; D013997:Time Factors