Topodiagnostik supranukleärer Augenbewegungsstörungen

Abstract

The hallmark of a supranuclear eye movement disorder is functional impairment of one or several types of different eye movements while other types of eye movement remain unchanged. All eye movement information is conveyed via the nuclei of the eye muscle nerves. However, the information for a specific type of eye movement is generated in prenuclear cortical and subcortical areas which are activated depending on the type of eye movement performed. The structures responsible for vertical and torsional oculomotoricity are described as well as the functional relationship between them. A summary of the development of saccades and movements arising from them is also given and the influence of the cerebellum on oculomotor processes is dealt with. In many neurological conditions knowledge about the areas of the brain relevant for eye movement enables a clinical diagnosis to be made or the pathological process to be localized to a specific anatomical area. Examination of eye movements is thus a valuable clinical tool in many neurological and neuro-ophthalmological diseases.