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Vestibular and non-vestibular contributions to eye movements that compensate for head rotations during viewing of near targets

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Abstract

Geometry dictates that when subjects view a near target during head rotation the eyes must rotate more than the head. The relative contribution to this compensatory response by adjustment of the vestibulo-ocular reflex gain (Gvor), visual tracking mechanisms including prediction, and convergence is debated. We studied horizontal eye movements induced by sinusoidal 0.2–2.8 Hz, en-bloc yaw rotation as ten normal humans viewed a near target that was either earth-fixed (EFT) or head-fixed (HFT). For EFT, group median gain was 1.49 at 0.2 Hz declining to 1.08 at 2.8 Hz. For HFT, group median gain was 0.03 at 0.2 Hz increasing to 0.71 at 2.8 Hz. By applying transient head perturbations (peak acceleration >1,000° s−2) during sinusoidal rotation, we determined that Gvor was similar during either EFT or HFT conditions, and contributed only ~75% to the compensatory response. We confirmed that retinal image slip contributed to the compensatory response by demonstrating reduced gain during EFT viewing under strobe illumination. Gain also declined during sum-of-sines head rotations, confirming the contribution of predictive mechanisms. The gain of compensatory eye movements was similar during monocular or binocular viewing, although vergence angle was greater during binocular viewing. Comparison with previous studies indicates that mechanisms for generation of eye rotations during near viewing depend on head stimulus type (rotation or translation), waveform (transient or sinusoidal), and the species being tested.

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Acknowledgments

Supported by NIH Grant EY06717, NASA/NSBRI NA00208, the Office of Research and Development, Medical Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Evenor Armington Fund (to Dr Leigh). The authors are grateful to Drs Robert F. Kirsch, David L. Wilson, John D. Porter, William P. Huebner, and Gerald M. Saidel for their advice. The work reported in this paper constitutes research performed by Yanning H. Han as part of the requirements for her Doctoral Dissertation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106-5040, USA

    Yanning H. Han, Arun N. Kumar, Louis F. Dell’Osso & R. John. Leigh

  2. Departments of Neurology, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106-5040, USA

    Louis F. Dell’Osso & R. John. Leigh

  3. NASA, Neuroscience Laboratory, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, 77058, USA

    Millard F. Reschke

  4. Wyle Laboratories, NASA, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, 77058, USA

    Jeffrey T. Somers

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  1. Yanning H. Han
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  2. Arun N. Kumar
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  3. Millard F. Reschke
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  4. Jeffrey T. Somers
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  5. Louis F. Dell’Osso
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  6. R. John. Leigh
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Correspondence to R. John. Leigh.

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Han, Y.H., Kumar, A.N., Reschke, M.F. et al. Vestibular and non-vestibular contributions to eye movements that compensate for head rotations during viewing of near targets. Exp Brain Res 165, 294–304 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-005-2305-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-005-2305-y

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