Abstract
Upward drift of the eyes in darkness, influenced by whole body orientation, was studied in 12 cats using electromagnetic search coil and electro-oculographic techniques. Animals were positioned stationary with respect to gravity with 0° tilt ('upright') or rolled 90° ('on side'), pitched 90° ('on nose' or 'on tail'), or inverted 180° ('upside down'). A downbeat quick-phase nystagmus (slow-phase upward in the cat's orbit) was measured, varying in magnitude with angle of tilt (0.21°/s at 0° tilt; 4.14°/s at 180° tilt). The drift was not present in the light. Upward eye velocities over a range of body orientations in darkness suggest a systematic drive to the eyes which increases with tilt away from upright. The relationship of this behavior to previous models of angular velocity estimation by an otolith-driven central mechanism is discussed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 144-148 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Experimental Brain Research |
Volume | 111 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1996 |
Keywords
- Eye movements
- Gravity
- Nystagmus
- Otolith organs
- Vestibule-ocular reflex
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Neuroscience