The Influence of Optokinetic Training upon Vestibular Responses Induced by Repetitive Sinusoidal Stimuli

Abstract

Optokinetic and vestibular training alternatively applied during two cycles, using sinusoidal pendular rotation and a stationary projection optokinetic stimulator, resulted in a progressive vestibular response decline. This response decrement was only revealed by the parameter of the slow-phase velocity. Combined optokinetic and vestibular training shows a facilitating effect upon vestibular habituation which cannot be induced by repetitive pendular rotation alone. Both a response decline, expressed by the parameter of the slow-phase velocity and a response increment, expressed by the number of nystagmus beats, were observed during one cycle of the pendular rotation. Both phenomena could be induced by alternative optokinetic and vestibular training and were interpreted as typical visual-vestibular interaction mechanisms.