Head taps evoke a crossed vestibulo-ocular reflex.
Taps to the forehead on the midline, at the hairline (Fz), with a reflex hammer or powerful bone conduction vibrator caused short-latency surface potentials from beneath both eyes in all healthy subjects. The earliest negative responses were invariably absent from the eye contralateral to the side of a previous vestibular nerve section but were preserved despite sensorineural hearing loss. These responses probably reflect vestibular function via crossed otolith-ocular pathways.
Iwasaki
S
S
Vestibular Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
McGarvie
L A
LA
Halmagyi
G M
GM
Burgess
A M
AM
Kim
J
J
Colebatch
J G
JG
Curthoys
I S
IS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods*; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods*; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests / Q000379:methods*