Eye movement responses to combined linear and angular head movement

Summary

Lateral eye movements evoked by linear head motion were evaluated in human subjects by subtracting the eye movement responses to headcentred angular oscillation in the dark, about a vertical axis, from the responses evoked by similar oscillation with the head displaced 30 cm eccentrically from the axis. The centred oscillation gave a purely angular stimulus whereas the eccentric oscillation gave an additional tangential linear acceleration acting laterally to the head. The stimuli used were relatively unpredictable, enveloped sinewaves at 0.02 to 1.2 Hz, 60°/s peak angular velocity, 0.004 to 0.24 g peak tangential acceleration, and subjects were either given no instructions or were told to imagine fixating on targets at 60 cm or 5 m distance. Eye movements of significantly higher velocity were evoked in the eccentric position, particularly at the higher frequencies and when subjects imagined near targets. The increase in velocity of eye movement was attributed to the linear stimulus and probably derives from stimulation of the otolith organs. The frequency response of the gain (°/s/g) of these movements gave an approximate slope of −1, indicating that the eye velocity bears a constant proportionality to linear head velocity. The findings are in accord with the theoretical prediction that eye movements compensating for linear head motion should only be required for viewing near targets. These otolithic influences on eye movements could either the mediated by a direct “otolith-ocular reflex” which is subservient to viewing conditions or, alternatively, the otolith signals may modify the activity of other oculomotor mechanisms.