[Disorders of voluntary eyelid movements (author's transl)]

Isolated disturbances of voluntary lid movements are a symptom which has been rarely described, and to which widely differing labels have been applied. Three different symptoms can be described from the cases reported in the literature: disorder of voluntary lid closing and/or opening, cortical ptosis, and inability to keep the eyes closed for more than a few seconds ("motor impersistance"). This last symptom can be considered as an unspecific sign of brain-damage. For the disturbance of voluntary lid opening/closure, the term "cortical palsy" of lid movements is proposed. Thus this symptom can be differentiated from other supranuclear disorders of lid movements where reflectory and/or spontaneous lid movements are also impaired. As in all cases reported, the elementary motility of the eyelids (opening and closure) is impaired, it is not possible to ascertain whether a lid-apraxia is present.