“Visuo-Spinal Ataxia” Caused by Disorders of Eye Movements

Abstract

The characteristics of central and peripheral disorders of ocular motility constitute valuable diagnostic signs for the clinician. For the patient, however, they result in a variety of distressing symptoms such as oscillopsia, diplopia, blurred vision, spatial disorientation or ocular vertigo including postural imbalance. Ocular vertigo (Adler, 1941) arises from an intersensory mismatch when visual information is at variance with vestibular and somatosensory inputs. The perceptual and postural consequences of ocular motor disorders are often neglected and it is the purpose of the present paper to deal especially with those of the ocular vertigo symptoms which can be regarded as visuo-spinal in origin.

supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)