VOR Flashcards
Why do we need reflex eye movements that stabilize images on the retina during head movement?
decreases potential retinal image motion– prevents blurred images and can prevent oscillopsia
How do we stabilize images on the retina during head movements?
by producing an eye movement in the direction opposite head movement
What is the point of adaptive head and eye movements?
preserves the image on the center of the visual field
What are the two component parts of Vestibular-Optokinetic movments?
vestibular system and optokinetic system
What is the general idea of the vestibular system?
compensates for brief, transient head movements, produces VOR
What is the general idea of the optokinetic system?
compensates for prolonged, sustained movements, low frequency, aided by pursuit system, result is OKN
How to vestibular and optokinetic movements interact?
over time VOR declines, responds to acceleration/deceleration, when that becomes constant VOR breaks down and optokinetic takes over to hold image stable until rotation is finished
When rotation is complete, we should get a…
nystagmus in the opposite direction
T/F the optokinetic system does not account for nystagmus
false
What is OKAN?
optokinetic after-nystagmus
What does OKAN do?
helps cancel out the post-rotational nystagmus and minimizes vertigo
Describe VOR movements
head moved quickly to 1 side while eyes stay on target, eye position in orbit is opposite head motion in space, result: keep eye position in space constant
What does OKAN result from?
velocity storage phenomenon
What is the velocity storage phenomenon?
indirect central neuro integrating circuit activated by initial input of rotational acceleration and velocity, stores velocity info and discharges in after the input has ceased
What is the stimulus for VOR?
angular or rotational acceleration, acceleration info integrated into head velocity signal and integrated again to get head displacement
Describe what happens during VOR with brain injury?
when head rotated to the right, eyes moved to the right and then made a compensatory movement back to the target
What three additional thing does VOR serve to maintain?
body posture, equilibrium, and muscle tone
How many semicircular canals are each side and what do they sense?
3, sense angular acceleration when fluid hits the cupula and deflects it
What is the cupula?
gel like substance containing crista ampullaris that sends a neurological/electrical signal to the CNS
What do the maculae of the saccule and utricle and the otoliths sense?
transient linear accelerations and static head tilt
What contains endolymph?
the endolymphatic space of the semicircular canal
What are otoliths?
calcium particles that sit on top of the gelatin in the macula of the saccule or utricle
What are otoliths affected by?
gravity and inertia
When do the otoliths stay in place?
when the head is level
What forces take place when walking forward?
acceleration forward, inertial force opposite of acceleration, gravity, and resultant from inertia and gravity
What are the otolith forces with a head tilt?
gravity and gravitational component in the plane of the otoliths creates resultant force
What is the result of head tilt?
translational VOR with total latency a bit longer, 35 msec
What do the best runners do?
keep head relatively still and suppress VOR to an extent
Why do runners suppress VOR to some extent?
prevents disruptive, conflicting info between internal and external inputs
VOR displacement?
10 to 20 degrees
VOR peak head velocity?
100 to 250 deg/sec (constant velocity means OKN)
VOR peak head acceleration?
1000 to 2500 deg/sec^2 (trigger for VOR)
VOR latency?
15 msec (shortest)