Effects of age, viewing distance and target complexity on static ocular counterroll.
The ocular counterroll (OCR) reflex generates partially compensatory torsional eye movements during static head roll tilt. We assessed the influence of age, viewing distance and target complexity on the OCR across the age span (13-63 years; n=47), by recording eye movements during head-on-body roll tilt (0+/-40 degrees in 5 degrees steps) while subjects viewed simple vs. complex targets at 0.33 and 1m. We found that subjects > or = 31 years had lower gains than those < or =30 years, but only for far targets. Consistent with prior reports, far targets elicited higher OCR gains than near targets, and target complexity had no effect on gains, suggesting that visual input is primarily used to maintain vergence during OCR.
Goltz
Herbert C
HC
Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, 60 Murray Street, Suite 1-003, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X5.
Mirabella
Giuseppe
G
Leung
Joanne C Y
JC
Blakeman
Alan W
AW
Colpa
Linda
L
Abuhaleeqa
Khaled
K
Wong
Agnes M F
AM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003290:Convergence, Ocular; D004215:Distance Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D019416:Head Movements; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011187:Posture; D012018:Reflex; D014741:Video Recording; D055815:Young Adult