[Disorders of horizontal gaze motility in the cerebral palsy patient]

The authors studied voluntary and reflex horizontal eyes movements, median and lateral fixation, pursuit movements, binocular and monocular optokinetic nystagmus, and vestibulo-ocular reflex suppression by fixation in a group of 66 cases of cerebral palsy. Horizontal gaze is normal in only 26% of the cases. Pursuit movements and vestibulo-ocular reflex suppression by fixation are the most affected. These anomalies are more frequent in ex-premature babies. Only 2 of 32 ex-premature babies were normal. Whereas, 15 of 34 term babies had no anomaly of horizontal gaze. The frequency and intensity of the troubles seem to correlate with the extent and onset of the neurological lesions.