HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 553/1/311    most recent jphysiol.2003.049338v1 Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kelders, W. P. A. Articles by Frens, M. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kelders, W. P. A. Articles by Frens, M. A.

Compensatory increase of the cervico-ocular reflex with age in healthy humans

W. P. A. Kelders*†, G. J. Kleinrensink*, J. N. van der Geest*, L. Feenstra†, C. I. de Zeeuw* and M. A. Frens*

The cervico-ocular reflex (COR) is an ocular stabilization reflex that is elicited by rotation of the neck. It works in conjunction with the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) and the optokinetic reflex (OKR) in order to prevent visual slip over the retina due to self-motion. The gains of the VOR and OKR are known to decrease with age. We have investigated whether the COR, a reflexive eye movement elicited by rotation of the neck, shows a compensatory increase and whether a synergy exists between the COR and the other ocular stabilization reflexes. In the present study 35 healthy subjects of varying age (20-86 years) were rotated in the dark in a trunk-to-head manner (the head fixed in spaced with the body passively rotated under it) at peak velocities between 2.1 and 12.6 deg s^-1 as a COR stimulus. Another 15 were subjected to COR, VOR and OKR stimuli at frequencies between 0.04 and 0.1 Hz. Three subjects participated in both tests. The position of the eyes was recorded with an infrared recording technique. We found that the COR-gain increases with increasing age and that there is a significant covariation between the gains of the VOR and COR, meaning that when VOR increases, COR decreases and vice versa. A nearly constant phase lag between the COR and the VOR of about 25 deg existed at all stimulus frequencies.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. Montfoort, W. P. A. Kelders, J. N. van der Geest, I. B. Schipper, L. Feenstra, C. I. de Zeeuw, and M. A. Frens Interaction between Ocular Stabilization Reflexes in Patients with Whiplash Injury. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., July 1, 2006; 47(7): 2881 - 2884. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]