Conjugacy of torsional eye movements in response to a head tilt paradigm

Vertically skewed eye movements are induced by head tilt toward the shoulder (roll). Because vertical and torsional eye movements are tightly coupled both mechanically and neuronally, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the conjugacy of torsional eye movements during the Bielschowsky head tilt test (BHTT). Furthermore, the purpose was to investigate the influence of different visual and viewing condition on torsional conjugacy. The issue has clinical relevance in interpreting the outcome of the BHTT.

Eye movement recordings were performed using the infrared three-dimensional video-oculography (3D-VOG) technique. Objective cycloposition of 20 healthy individuals was measured in presumed primary position and in head tilt positions of 15 degrees, 30 degrees, and 45 degrees to the right and left, respectively. The same paradigm was performed under three different viewing conditions: binocularly without spatial orientation and both binocularly and monocularly with spatial orientation. The stimulus used with spatial orientation was a photographic picture of a historic building, whereas the stimulus with no spatial cues consisted of concentric circles.

Consistent excyclovergence occurred in all subjects in head tilt. The relative amount increased with head tilt, regardless of the visual stimulus. Maximum excyclovergence was 0.7 degrees in 45 degrees head tilt during monocular fixation. Binocular viewing enhanced the torsion conjugacy by means of vergence stability (SD), whereas spatial visual cues improved the torsional conjugacy only slightly.

Consistent excyclovergence was induced in head tilt. A vestibular origin seems to provide a plausible explanation of the induced torsional disconjugacy, whereas visual feed-back seems plausible in explaining the better conjugacy in binocular viewing.