Myasthenia gravis: Saccadic eye movement waveforms

Abstract

The study of the refixational saccadic eye movements of 10 patients with myasthenia gravis revealed large intra-and intersubject variability and a diversity of waveforms necessitating the development of a recursive classification scheme which separated the dynamics of the eye's trajectory and the metrics of the completed movement. The waveforms reflected the admixture of the primary peripheral myasthenic deficit and compensatory central adaptation to it. Whenever possible, the peripheral and central factors were identified for each waveform component. The prevalence of multiple, closely spaced saccades and dynamic overshoots in this population coupled with their absence in other peripheral disorders, suggests a possible role for proprioception in ocular motor control.