Abstract
If causal and teleological reasoning were clearly diametrically opposed attitudes, then tackling the central organization of vertical eye movements would indeed be a formidable task. This opening, and light, assertion is partially explained by the subsequent lengthy introduction to some of the problems posed by the descriptive, but unfortunately misnamed, “vertical” vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). Many in the oculomotor field believe the key to understanding vertical eye movements depends to a large extent on first understanding the vertical VOR reflex pathways. Experiments carried out to date ranging from the sensory to motor periphery suggest that the excellent performance of the vertical VOR is achieved at the level of the second order vestibular neurons. Accordingly these cells must be the center of focus in the upcoming years. At the outset it should also be appreciated that many eye movement related signals, even vestibular, appearing at target sites of second order vestibular neurons could be obtained either directly or indirectly via more than one pathway. Therefore, critical experiments will always require correlation between physiology and morphology.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Anderson JH (1981) Behavior of the vertical canal VOR in normal and INC-lesioned cats. In Fuchs AF and Becker W eds Progress in Oculomotor Research, Elsevier/North Holland: Amsterdam 397–402.
Baker R and Berthoz A (1974) Organization of vestibular nystagmus in oblique oculomotor system, J. Neurophysiol. 37, 195–217.
Baker R and Spencer RF (1981) Synthesis of horizontal eye movement in the abducens nucleus, Jap. J. EEG & EMG Suppl. 31, 49–59.
Baker R, Precht W and Llinas R (1972) Cerebellar modulatory action on the vestibulo-trochlear pathway in the cat, Exp. Brain Res. 15, 364–385.
Baker R, Precht W and Berthoz A (1973) Synaptic connections to trochlear motoneurons determined by individual vestibular nerve branch stimulation in the cat, Brain Res. 64, 402–406.
Baker R, Evinger C and McCrea RA (1981) Some thoughts about the three neurons in the vestibulo-ocular reflex. In Cohen B, ed. Ann. New York Acad. Sci. 374, 171–188.
Baker R, Spencer R and Evinger C (in press 1982) Structure-function study in the oculomotor system. In Lennerstrand G, Zee DS and Keller E eds. Functional Basis of Ocular Motility Disorders, Oxford: pergamon Press.
Blanks RHI, Anderson JH and Precht W (1978) Response characteristics of semicircular canal and otolith systems in cat. II. Responses of trochlear motoneurons, Exp Brain Res. 32, 509–528.
Brodai A and Pompeiano O (1957) The vestibular nuclei in the cat. J. Anat. (Lond) 91, 438–454.
Cohen B and Suzuki JI (1963) Eye movements induced by ampullary nerve stimulation, Am. J. Physiol. 204, 347–351.
Evinger C, Spencer RF and Baker R (in press 1982) Comparison of oculomotor motoneuron axon collaterals in mammals. In Lennerstrand G, Zee DS and Keller E eds. Functional Basis of Ocular Motility Disorders, Pergamon Press: Oxford
Gacek RR (1971) Anatomical demonstration of the vestibulo-ocular projections in the cat, The Laryngoscope, 81, 1559–1595.
Ghelarducci B, Highstein SM and Ito M (1977) Origin of the pre-oculomotor projections through the brachium conjunctivum and their functional roles in the vestibulo-ocular reflex. In Baker R and Berthoz A eds. The Control of Gaze, Elsevier/North Holland: Amsterdam, 167–176.
Graf W and Simpson JI (1981) The relations between the semicircular canals, the optic axis and the extraocular muscles in lateral-eyed and frontal-eyed animals. In Fuchs AF and Becker W eds. Progress in Oculomotor Research, Elsevier/North Holland: Amsterdam, 411–420.
Graf W, McCrea RA and Baker RG (1981) Morphology of secondary vestibular neurons linked to the posterior canal in rabbit and cat, Neurosci. Abst. 7, 40.
Highstein SM (1973) The organization of the vestibulo-oculomotor and trochlear reflex pathways in the rabbit, Exp. Brain Res. 17, 285–300.
Ito M, Nisimaru N and Yamamoto M (1973) Specific neural connections for the cerebellar control of vestibular-ocular reflexes. Brain Res. 60, 238–243.
Ito M, Nisimaru N and Yamamoto M (1976a) Pathways for the vestibulo-ocular reflex excitation arising from semicircular canals of rabbits, Exp. Brain Res. 24, 257–271.
Ito M, Nisimaru N and Yamamoto M (1976b) postsynaptic inhibition of oculomotor neurons involved in vestibulo-ocular reflexes arising from semicircular canals of rabbits, Exp. Brain Res. 24, 272–283.
Ito M, Nisimaru N and Yamamoto M (1976c) Inhibitory interaction between the vestibulo-ocular reflexes arising from semicircular canals of rabbits, Exp. Brain Res. 26, 89–103.
King WM and Leigh RJ (in press 1982) Physiology of vertical gaze. In Lennerstrand G, Zee DS and Keller E eds. Functional Basis of Ocular Motility Disorders, Pergamon Press: Oxford
Lorente de No R (1933) Vestibulo-ocular reflex arc, Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. 30, 245–291.
McCrea RA, Yoshida K, Berthoz A and Baker R (1980) Eye movement related activity and morphology of second order vestibular neurons terminating in the cat abducens nucleus, Exp. Brain Res. 40, 468–473.
McCrea RA, Yoshida K, Evinger C and Berthoz A (1981) The location, axonal arborization and termination sites of eye-movement-related secondary vestibular neurons demonstrated by intra-axonal HRP injection in the alert cat. In Fuchs AF and Becker W eds. progress in Oculomotor Research, Elsevier/North Holland: Amsterdam, 379–386.
Precht W and Baker R (1977) Synaptic organization of the vestibular-trochlear pathway. Exp. Brain Res. 14, 158–184.
Simpson JI and Graf W (1981) Eye muscle geometry and compensatory eye movements in lateral-eyed and frontal-eyed animals, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 374, 20–30.
Simpson JI, Graf W and Leonard C (1981) The coordinate system of visual climbing fibers to the flocculus. In Fuchs AF and Becker W eds. Progress in Oculomotor Research, Elsevier/North Holland: Amsterdam, 475–484.
Szentagothai J (1943) Die zentrale innervation der augenbewegungen, Arch Psychiat. Nervenkr. 116, 721–760.
Tarlov E (1970) Organization of vestibulo-oculo-motor projections in the cat, Brain Res. 20, 159–179.
Uchino Y, Hirai N and Watanabe S (1978) Vestibulo-ocular reflex from the posterior canal nerve to extraocular motoneurons in the cat, Exp. Brain Res. 32, 337–388.
Uchino Y, Hirai N, Suzuki S and Watanabe S (1980a) Axonal branching in the trochlear and oculomotor nuclei of single vestibular neurons activated from the posterior semicircular nerve in the cat, Neurosci. Letters 18, 283–288.
Uchino Y, Suzuki S and Watanabe S (1980b) Vertical semicircular inputs to cat extraocular motoneurons, Exp. Brain Res. 41, 45–53.
Uchino Y, Hirai N, Suzuki S and Watanabe S (1981) Properties of secondary vestibular neurons fired by stimulation of ampullary nerves of the vertical, anterior or posterior semicircular canals in the cat. Brain Res. 223, 273–286.
Yamamoto M, Shimoyama I and Highstein SM (1978) Vestibular nucleus neurons relaying excitation from the anterior canal to the oculomotor nucleus, Brain Res 148, 31–42.
Yoshida K, McCrea, R, Berthoz A and Vidal P.P. Eye-movement-related activity of identified second order vestibular neurons in the cat. In Fuchs AF and Becker W eds Progress in Oculomotor Research. Elsevier/North Holland: Amsterdam, 371–378.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1982 Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague, Boston, London
About this paper
Cite this paper
Baker, R., Graf, W., Spencer, R.F. (1982). The Vertical Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex. In: Roucoux, A., Crommelinck, M. (eds) Physiological and Pathological Aspects of Eye Movements. Documenta Ophthalmologica Proceedings Series, vol 34. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8000-6_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8000-6_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-009-8002-0
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-8000-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive