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Does orbital proprioception contribute to gaze stability during translation?
Min Wei1, Nan Lin, Shawn D Newlands
1Department of Otolaryngology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-0521, USA. Min_Wei@urmc.rochester.edu
Experimental Brain Research
|September 28, 2011
Summary
Orbital proprioception influences translational vestibulo-ocular reflex (tVOR) during ipsilateral head movements. However, internal eye position signals likely dominate tVOR scaling, especially during abducens nerve stimulation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
- Vestibular System
Background:
- Translational motion causes retinal image slip, necessitating real-time eye position information for accurate gaze stabilization.
- Potential sources for eye position data include orbital proprioception and internal motor commands.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of orbital proprioceptive information in scaling eye movements during translational motion.
- To differentiate the contributions of proprioception versus internal motor signals to the translational vestibulo-ocular reflex (tVOR).
Main Methods:
- Microstimulation of the abducens nerve in rhesus macaques to perturb eye position during translational motion.
- Activation of eye muscle proprioceptors while maintaining undisturbed central motor commands.
- Analysis of translational VOR responses in abductive and adductive eye movement directions.
Main Results:
- Microstimulation-induced eye position changes did not affect the tVOR in the abductive (lateral rectus) direction.
- However, these changes influenced tVOR responses in the adductive (medial rectus) direction.
- Proprioceptive inputs appear involved in tVOR during ipsilateral head movements, potentially via vergence signals.
Conclusions:
- Orbital proprioception plays a role in the translational vestibulo-ocular reflex, particularly during ipsilateral head movements.
- Internal representations of eye position derived from central motor signals are likely the primary source for scaling eye movements during translational motion, especially in the abducent direction.
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