Huntington's disease alters oculomotor function and a disorder of eye movements in individuals at risk for the disease may be a marker of the defective gene. It is not known, however, if quantified oculomotor tests can distinguish between Huntington's disease and non-degenerative causes of chorea. Therefore, the vertical saccade system and the stability of visual fixation were studied in patients with Huntington's disease and compared to patients with non-degenerative causes of chorea and control subjects. Huntington's disease but not non-degenerative causes of chorea slow vertical saccades while both causes of chorea produce instability of fixation.
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