title: Nicotine-induced nystagmus correlates with midpontine activation.
abstract: The pathomechanism of nicotine-induced nystagmus (NIN) is unknown. The aim of this study was to delineate brain structures that are involved in NIN generation. Eight healthy volunteers inhaled nicotine in darkness during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment; eye movements were registered using video-oculography. NIN correlated with blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activity levels in a midpontine site in the posterior basis pontis. NIN-induced midpontine activation may correspond to activation of the dorsomedial pontine nuclei and the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis, structures known to participate in the generation of multidirectional saccades and smooth pursuit eye movements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany. Angela.Deutschlaender@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deutschländer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stephan
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Riedel
authors.forename: Vera C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Zingler
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hüfner
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiesmann
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pierrot-Deseilligny
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strupp
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brandt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D005731:Ganglionic Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009759:Nystagmus, Pathologic / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011149:Pons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005731:Ganglionic Stimulants; D009538:Nicotine