Dynamic analysis of ocular torsion in parabolic flight using video-oculography

Dynamic ocular torsion was investigated in a group of healthy subjects during the course of parabolic flight by means of our video-based eye movement recording method-video-oculography. This technique enables a non-invasive dynamic measurement of all three dimensions of eye movement in a harsh experimental environment such as parabolic flight. The test subjects were positioned so that the changing resultant gravito-inertial field in the aircraft was aligned with their interaural (y) axis, primarily stimulating the utricular organs. The analysis of the torsional component of eye movement during the change of gravity between 1.8-0 and 0-1.8 g demonstrated a static component--well known as the ocular counter roll--and a dynamic component, which leads to a slight overshoot in the torsional response. These static and dynamic component of ocular torsion correlate with previous neurophysiological findings.