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.
Center for Sensorimotor Research, Clinical Neurosciences, Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilian University, 81377 Munich, Germany. sglasauer@nefo.med.uni-muenchen.de
Stefan
S
Glasauer
Thomas
T
Stephan
Roger
R
Kalla
Sarah
S
Marti
Dominik
D
Straumann
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