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Related Experiment Videos

Effect of aging on vertical visual tracking and visual-vestibular interaction

J L Demer1

  • 1Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles 90024-7002.

Journal of Vestibular Research : Equilibrium & Orientation
|September 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Aging impairs visual-vestibular interactions (VVI), affecting smooth pursuit and optokinetic nystagmus (OKN). Elderly subjects showed reduced tracking gains and increased phase lags compared to young adults, indicating age-related declines in visual-vestibular system function.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Ophthalmology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • The aging process impacts various sensory and motor systems, including the visual and vestibular systems.
  • Understanding age-related changes in visual-vestibular interactions (VVI) is crucial for maintaining balance and preventing falls in the elderly.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of aging on vertical smooth pursuit, small-field optokinetic nystagmus (OKN), the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), and VVI.
  • To assess how telescopic spectacles, which magnify visual effects of head movements, influence VVI in young and elderly individuals.

Main Methods:

  • Compared VVI in 11 young (30 ± 6 years) and 9 elderly (70 ± 8 years) subjects.
  • Utilized predictable, poorly predictable, and unpredictable motion stimuli.

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  • Employed telescopic spectacles and neutral density filters to manipulate visual input and VVI demands.

    • Main Results:

    • Tracking gains declined with frequency and unpredictability, and were lower in elderly subjects.
    • Phase lags increased with frequency and unpredictability, and were greater in elderly subjects for both pursuit and OKN.
    • Elderly subjects showed attenuated visual enhancement of VOR gain and reduced VOR suppression compared to young subjects.

    Conclusions:

    • Aging significantly impairs smooth pursuit, OKN, and VVI, characterized by reduced tracking gains and increased phase lags.
    • Deficits in VVI in the elderly are due to both visual tracking impairments and non-visual mechanism changes.
    • These findings highlight age-related declines in the visual-vestibular system's ability to adapt and compensate for sensory demands.