Cranial Nerves - Oculomotor Flashcards
The oculomotor system (controlling the movement of our eyes) is designed to do what two things?
- bring targets onto the fovea
- and to keep them there
What five movement systems have been identified to put the fovea on a target and keep it there?
- vestibulo-ocular
- optokinetic
- saccade
- smooth pursuit
- vergence
What 2 movement systems stabilize the eye when the head moves?
- vestibulo-ocular
- optokinetic
What 2 movement systems keep the fovea on a visual target?
- saccade
- smooth pursuit
- vergence
What movement system provides vestibular input that holds images stable on the retina during head and body movement (gaze stabilization)?
vestibulo-ocular
What movement system brings new objects of interest onto the fovea?
saccade
What movement system holds the image of a moving target on the fovea?
smooth pursuit
What movement system provides visual input that holds images stable on the retina during sustained or slow head rotation?
optokinetic
What movement system adjusts the eyes for viewing different distances in depth?
vergence
In an oculomotor system that is functioning normally, the two eyes do what? (locked or unlocked?)
the two eyes are “locked” together (both eyes focus on an object)
What is the result of the eyes being unlocked?
the eyes focus on different targets (retinal disparity), diplopia or double vision occurs
What movement systems allow for conjugate movements of the eyes for foveation?
- vestibulo-ocular
- optokinetic
- saccade
- smooth pursuit
What movement system allows for convergence or divergence (disconjugate movements)?
vergence system
What movement system is used to quickly reposition the eyes (fovea) to focus on an image that has suddenly been moved from the fovea?
Saccade system
What is the term for rapid eye movement required to bring the image back into focus?
saccade
The saccade system is directed through what? located where?
directed through a horizontal gaze center located in the pontine reticular formation (paramedian pontine reticular formation; PPRF) adjacent to the abducens nucleus
The “upper motor neuron control” of the saccade system is a complicated system of interneurons that involves what areas/structures of the brain?
- part of the middle frontal gyrus termed the Frontal Eye Field (FEF; area 8)
- the Superior Colliculus
What are 3 separate and distinct regions within area 8 (Frontal Eye Field)?
- horizontal gaze center
- vertical gaze center
- vergence center
What 2 movement systems/reflexes work together to keep your eyes fixed on an object as your head turns?
vestibulo-ocular and optokinetic reflexes
Your eyes remain fixed and focused on an object by moving at the same speed as your head, but in the opposite direction. This is driven by bilateral input of what system?
vestibular system
When the eyes reach a point in the periphery where they can no longer focus on that object, due tot he image now being directed to the peripheral retina, they reset to a new fixation point. This rapid movement is known as what?
saccade (the movement is rapid enough that visual input is momentarily impaired until the foveas fixate on the next point)
The result of the visual input being momentarily impaired until the foveas fixate on the next point is termed what?
rotatory nystagmus
What are the two components of rotatory nystagmus?
- the slow movement of fixation
- the rapid movement of resetting
This vestibulo-ocular reflex (eyes remain fixed on an object when head turns and refixating) is driven by what system? due to what?
driven by the vestibular system, due to the directional flow of endolymph opposite the direction your head is turning
If the head continues to rotate, what happens to the endolymph?
the endolymph eventually “catches up” or stabilizes
The same pattern of following and saccadic reset reaction continues to take place as long as your head continues to turn. This continuation of following and resetting of the focal point is now driven by what system?
optokinetic system (the vestibular input is balanced)
the optokinetic system requires input from what area/structures of the brain?
the visual cortex and the superior colliculus
Once the rotation of the head stops, the eyes will react in what direction?
the opposite direction of the rotation
The slow following eye movement (after head stops rotating) will be in what direction? The saccade will be in what direction?
the slow following eye movement will be in the direction of prior rotation and the saccade in the opposite direction of prior rotation
The slow following eye movement will be in the direction of prior rotation and the saccade in the opposite direction of prior rotation. This is known as what?
postrotatory nystagmus
Postrotatory nystagmus is driven by what system?
vestibular system
What movement system requires an image to be moving across the field of vision?
Smooth Pursuit
Are smooth pursuit movements under volitional control once fixation on the image has been established?
NO
Is the PPRF involved smooth pursuit movements?
YES
The “upper motor neuron control” of smooth pursuit movements comes from what? channeled through what? coupled with what?
comes from visual signals from primary visual cortex, channeled through an area in the caudal temporal gyrus, coupled with superior colliculus
The PPRF has a number of different types of neurons that control saccade and smooth pursuit conjugate eye movements. These can be activated through what?
reflexive pathways such as the vestibulo-ocular reflex or voluntarily as in the saccades initiated from the appropriate center of FEF
All the systems of conjugate eye movements are influenced by what?
influenced by the cerebellum through feedback information to the vestibular nuclei and then to the horizontal and/or vertical gaze centers
The vergence system is controlled through what?
the reticular formation at the midbrain level
The disconjugate movements of the eyes are necessary for what?
necessary for the foveation of an image as it moves toward or away from you
For convergence, what muscles must be activated and what is their role?
both medial rectus muscles must override the lateral rectus muscle tone to bring the eyes together