Up-down asymmetry of cerebellar activation during vertical pursuit eye movements.
Animal experiments have demonstrated that the vast majority of vertical gaze-velocity Purkinje cells in the cerebellar floccular lobe, whose firing rate is modulated during vertical smooth pursuit eye movements, show a preference for downward pursuit. Here we validate the functional vertical asymmetry of the cerebellar flocculus in humans using functional magnetic resonance imaging by demonstrating a significantly higher activation of the floccular lobe for downward than for upward pursuit. The findings corroborate our recent hypothesis on the pathogenesis of cerebellar downbeat nystagmus.
Glasauer
Stefan
S
Center for Sensorimotor Research, Clinical Neurosciences, Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilian University, 81377 Munich, Germany. sglasauer@nefo.med.uni-muenchen.de
Stephan
Thomas
T
Kalla
Roger
R
Marti
Sarah
S
Straumann
Dominik
D
D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D019416:Head Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009760:Nystagmus, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D012438:Saccades / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
D010100:Oxygen