Gravity and the vertical vestibulo-ocular reflex

Abstract

We studied the vertical vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) and vertical visual-vestibular interaction induced by voluntary pitch in the upright and onside positions in eight normal human subjects. Subjects were trained to produce sinusoidal (0.4 to 1.6 Hz) pitch head movements guided by a frequency modulated sound signal. Eye and head movements were recorded with a magnetic search coil. There was no significant difference between the pooled average gain (eye velocity/head velocity) of the vertical VOR in the upright and onside positions. Vertical VOR gain in any position could be more or less than 1.0 for individual subjects. By contrast, gain with an earth-fixed visual target was always near 1.0. Asymmetries in the gain of upward and downward VOR, pursuit and fixation suppression of the VOR were found in individual subjects, but in the group of normal subjects there was no significant difference between gain of up and down eye movements induced by vestibular, visual or visual-vestibular stimulation in any position. We conclude that during voluntary pitch otolith signals are not critical for normal functioning of the vertical VOR.