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The vestibulo-ocular reflex during active head motion in children and adolescents

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Abstract

Background

Little information is available on the performance and maturity of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) in children and adolescents during active head motion as encountered during normal locomotion. We investigated the active VOR performance in children and adolescents to determine its norm and variation with age.

Methods

We recorded the angular active VOR using an infrared eye tracker and a magnetic head tracker in 38 children, aged 8–19 years. Participants made sinusoidal head-on-body rotations in yaw (left–right) and pitch (up–down) at frequencies of about 0.5 and 2 Hz in the dark.

Results

Mean VOR gains, the ratios of eye to head velocities, were close to unity and were significantly higher at 2 Hz than at 0.5 Hz. VOR gains did not vary with age.

Conclusion

The angular VOR during active head motion is functionally mature in children 8 years or older at 0.5 and 2 Hz head rotations.

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Acknowledgment

We thank Dr. M. Eizenman, Mrs. I. Dror, Mr. A. Blakeman, and the entire ocular motor laboratory team for their support. We also thank the participants and their families for their enthusiasm. Support was received from: (1) KidsAction; (2) Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Canada; (3) Clinician Scientist training program award, Vision Science Research Program at Toronto Western Hospital; (4) Bloorview MacMillan Hospital foundation grants, (MS Salman); (5) NIH grant “Spina bifida: Cognitive and neurobiological variability” (J Fletcher, M Dennis); (6) CIHR of Canada Grants MT5404 and ME 5909 (JA Sharpe); (7) NSERC of Canada A7664, The Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust, and the Krembil Family Foundation Grants (MJ Steinbach).

Conflict of interest statement

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Pediatric Neurology, Children’s Hospital, AE 308, 820 Sherbrook St., Winnipeg, MB, R3A 1R9, Canada

    Michael S. Salman

  2. Vision Science Research Program, University of Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Linda Lillakas & Martin J. Steinbach

  3. Division of Neurology, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    James A. Sharpe

  4. Division of Psychology, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Maureen Dennis

Authors
  1. Michael S. Salman
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  2. Linda Lillakas
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  3. Maureen Dennis
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  4. Martin J. Steinbach
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  5. James A. Sharpe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael S. Salman.

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Salman, M.S., Lillakas, L., Dennis, M. et al. The vestibulo-ocular reflex during active head motion in children and adolescents. Childs Nerv Syst 23, 1269–1274 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-007-0403-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-007-0403-9

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