Summary
A tonic coupling between the horizontal component of eye position and dorsal neck muscle activity has been demonstrated in the cat and monkey. In order to demonstrate this synergy in humans and study its characteristics, we have measured the relation between the firing rate of individual motor unit of the splenius muscle and voluntary horizontal shifts of gaze using 5° steps, in head-fixed subjects. Eye movement recording was achieved by conventional binocular electro-oculography and the activity of the right splenius muscle was recorded with Bronks coaxial bipolar electrodes inserted manually at the C4–C5 intervertebral level. The activity of 51 motor units in 10 subjects has been recorded. For all subjects, motor units firing rate increased when the gaze shifted to the ipsilateral side, and both increase in firing rate and recruitment were observed. These results demonstrate that the tonic eye head synergy is also present in man.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bartz AE (1966) Eye and head movements in peripheral vision: nature of compensatory eye movements. Science 152: 1644–1645
Basmajian JV, De Luca CJ (1985) Muscles alive: their functions revealed by electromyography. In: Williams J, Wilkins J (eds). Baltimore, Vol 1, 561 p
Berthoz A, Yoshida K, Vidal PP (1981) Horizontal eye movement sensitivity in second order vestibular nuclei neurons in the cat. In: Cohen B (ed) Vestibular and oculomotor physiology. Ann NY Acad Sci 374: 144–156
Berthoz A, Vidal PP, Corvisier J (1982) Brainstem neurons mediating horizontal eye position signals to the dorsal neck muscles. In: Roucoux A, Crommelinck M (eds) Physiological and pathological aspects of eye movements. Dr Junk Publ., The Hague, pp 383–398
Berthoz A, Grantyn A (1985) Neuronal mechanisms underlying eye head coordination. In: Freund HJ, Büttner V, Cohen B, Noth J (eds) Progress in brain research, Vol 64. Eisevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, pp 1–19
Bizzi E, Polit A, Morasso P (1976) Mechanisms underlying achievement of final head position. J Neurophysiol 39: 435–444
Crommelinck M, Roucoux A, Veraart C (1982) The relation of neck muscles activity to horizontal eye position in the alert cat: head free. In: Roucoux A, Crommelinck M (eds) Physiological and pathological aspects of eye movements. Dr Junk Publ., The Hague, pp 379–384
Darlot C, Denise P, Droulez J (1985) Modulation by horizontal eye position of the vestibulo-collic reflex induced by tilting in the frontal plane in the alert cat. Exp Brain Res 58: 510–519
Grantyn A, Berthoz A (1985) Burst activity of identified tectoreticulo-spinal neurons in the alert cat. Exp Brain Res 57: 417–421
Grantyn A, Berthoz A (1987) Reticulo-spinal neurons participating in the control of synergic eye and head movements during orienting in the cat. I. Behavioral properties. Exp Brain Res 66: 339–354
Grantyn A, Ong-Meang Jacques V, Berthoz A (1987) Reticulospinal neurons participating in the control of synergic eye and head movements during orienting in the cat. II. Morphological properties as revealed by intraaxonal injections of horseradish peroxidase. Exp Brain Res 66: 355–377
Guitton D, Douglas RM, Volle M (1984) Eye head coordination in cats. J Neurophysiol 52: 1030–1050
Heuser M (1976) Das Oculo Auricular Phänomen. J Neurol 211: 95–99
Lestienne F, Vidal PP, Berthoz A (1984) Gaze changing behaviour in head restrained monkey. Exp Brain Res 53: 349–356
Mariani J, Maton B, Bouisset S (1980) Force gradation and motor unit activity during voluntary movements in man. Electroenceph Clin Neurophysiol 48: 573–582
Maton B (1977) Fréquence et recrutement des unités motrices du muscle biceps brachial ou cours du travail statique chez l'homme normal. J Physiol (Paris) 73: 177–199
Outerbridge JJ, Melvill Jones G (1971) Reflex vestibular control of head movements in man. Aerospace Med 42: 935–940
Peterson BW, Fukushima K (1982) The reticulo spinal system and its role in generating vestibular and visuo-motor reflexes. In: Sjoklund R, Björklund A (eds) Brainstem control of spinal mechanisms. Elsevier, North Holland, Amsterdam, pp 225–229
Roll JP, Roll R (1986) Kinesthetic and motor effects of extra ocular muscle vibration in man. In: O Regan JK, Levy-Schoen A (eds) Eye movement: from physiology to cognition. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 12p
Roucoux A, Vidal PP, Veraart C, Crommelinck M, Berthoz A (1982) The relation of neck muscles activity to horizontal eye position in the alert cat: head fixed. In: Roucoux A, Crommelinck M (eds) Physiological and pathological aspects of eye movements. Dr Junk Publ., The Hague, pp 371–378
Schmidt D, Schmidt CL (1978) Optokinetic and vestibular head nystagmus. In: Kommerel DG (ed) Disorders of ocular mobility. Bergmann Verlag, München, pp 301–305
Takebe K, Vitti M, Basmajian JV (1974) Functions of semispinalis capitis and splenius capitis muscles: an electromyographic study. J Anat Rec 179: 477–480
Vidal PP, Roucoux A, Berthoz A (1982) Horizontal eye position related activity in neck muscles of the alert cat. Exp Brain Res 46: 448–453
Vidal PP, Corvisier J, Berthoz A (1983) Eye and neck motor signals in periabducens reticular neurons of the alert cat. Exp Brain Res 53: 16–28
Wilson VJ, Precht W, Dieringer N (1983) Responses of cat's splenius muscle to optokinetic stimulation. Exp Brain Res 50: 153–156
Zangemeister WH, Stark L (1981) Active head rotation and eye head coordination. In: Cohen B (ed) Vestibular and oculomotor physiology. Ann NY Acad Sci 374: 540–559
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
André-Deshays, C., Berthoz, A. & Revel, M. Eye-head coupling in humans. Exp Brain Res 69, 399–406 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00247585
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00247585