BINOCULAR EYE MOVEMENTS

POSITIONS OF THE EYE

1. Anatomical pos of rest
2. Physiological pos of
rest
3. Dissociated (fusion
free) pos
4. Pos of fixation
5. Vergence

EYE MOVEMENTS
1. Voluntary
Conjunctiv

Disjunctive

Torsional

Diverged and deviated upwards

Absence of innervation to EO muscles
Diverged eyes during sleep
Less than anatomical pos of rest
Postural and fixation reflexes
Fusion prevented
Fixation axes intersect at point of regard
Near/far point of convergence
Range/relative convergence
Amplitude of convergence

Versions > binocular

Ductions > monocular
Angle between fixation axes changes as eyes move in and out
Eyes rotate in opposite directions
Vergence > convergence/divergence
Maddox proposed 4 types of convergence:
- Tonic, proximal, accommodation, fusional vergence
Rotation of eye about sagittal/y axis
Intorsion > upper pole of vertical meridian of globe tilts nasally
Extorsion > upper pole of vertical meridian of globe tilts
temporally

2. Involuntary
Psycho
saccades
optic
Pursuits
OKN (optokinetic nystagmus)
Fusion/post Static
Postural innervation
ural
postural
Beyond our control and never reaches our
consciousness
Purely reflex action
Aligns body with centre of gravity
Stato Responds to stimulation of receptors within
kinetic
vestibular system
Sensitive to movements of head
Originates from semi-circular canals of labyrinth

VESTIBULAR SYSTEM
Anatomy
Cochlea: corti
Semi-circular canals > rotational movements
Otolithic organs > linear movements
Semi Horizontal, anterior and posterior
circular
Keep eyes still while head moves
canals
Approximately at right angles
Ampulla
Ampulla
Bulbous enlargement at base of semi-circular canal
All canals join ampulla
Cupula
Cupula
Sensory hairy cristae embedded in jelly-like substance
Head rotation > endolymph swirls > displaces cupula
a. Depolarization > stimulation of vestibular nerve
b. Hyper-polarization > inhibition of vestibular nerve
Endolymph
Has inertia
Not coupled directly with head movements > lags behind
Left head
Depolarization
Hyper polarization
rotation
1. Left head turn
1. Rotation of head to left
2. Endolymph lags behind
2. Deflection of hair away
3. Pushes cupula to the right
from rostral end
4. Deflects hair bundles
3. Hyper-polarization
(cristae)
4. Inhibitory
5. Depolarization
Excitation
Occurs when endolymph moves:
a. Towards ampulla in horizontal canal
b. Away from ampulla in vertical canals
Push-pull
When one canal is stimulated, its partner on the other side is
effect
inhibited
Vertical canals are coupled in cross fashion
Excitatory right anterior with inhibitory left posterior
Right head
1. Head moves to the right > stimulate right semicircular
movement
canal
2. Vestibular nerve (N8) > Scarpas ganglion > Vestibular
nucleus in brain stem on right side
3. Fibres cross to left Abducens nucleus (N6) to left lateral
rectus
4. At same time the ipsilateral medial rectus is stimulated via
abducens internuclear interneuron and oculomotor neuron
(N3)

PURSUITS AND SACCADES

Pursuits
Stabilize image
Frequency > 1.2Hz
Slow phase of version occurs in direction
of moving object
Consciously controlled

Saccades
Reset image of object near fovea
Resets eyes in primary position
Eccentric sound
Rapid versional eye movement
Voluntary and reflexive control

- Saccadic eye movements

Refixation
Bring image of eccentric target onto or near fovea
saccades
Voluntary
Occurs as result of instruction
saccades
Reflex saccades
Occurs as reflex
VESTIBULO-OCULAR REFLEX (VOR)
Definition
Unconscious repositioning of eyes to compensate for active and
passive head movement to stabilize image on retina
Direction of eyes opposite to head movement to preserve image
on centre of visual field
Process
1. Detection of rotation
2. Inhibition of EO muscles on one side
3. Excitation of EO muscles on other side
4. Compensating eye movement
OKR
OKN
Movements
Phases
Active
Requires
Responds
to

Acquired soon after birth

Re-fixation + following reflex
Jerky nystagmus
Saccades and pursuits
Fast and slow
Low frequency spectrum
Movement of entire visual surround
Constant image velocity
Whereas VOR responds to acceleration