Age related change of optokinetic nystagmus in healthy subjects: a study from infancy to senescence

• Published in: British journal of ophthalmology 2004-12, Vol.88 (12), p.1577-1581
• Main Authors: Valmaggia, C, Rütsche, A, Baumann, A, Pieh, C, Shavit, Y Bellaiche, Proudlock, F, Gottlob, I
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging - physiology; asymmetry; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Clinical Science - Extended Reports; Cross-Sectional Studies; dorsal terminal nucleus; DTN; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; nasal to temporal; Nose; NOT; nucleus of the optic tract; Nystagmus, Optokinetic - physiology; OKAN; OKN; Ophthalmology; optokinetic after nystagmus; optokinetic nystagmus; Photic Stimulation - methods; Prospective Studies; Retinopathies; temporal to nasal
• ISSN: 0007-1161; 1468-2079
• DOI: 10.1136/bjo.2004.044222

Background: Optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) gain is asymmetrical between temporal to nasal (TN) and nasal to temporal (NT) stimulation in infancy and decreases at older ages. The age at which OKN gain becomes symmetrical and decreases is debated. The aim was to investigate OKN over the whole lifespan in a large sample of healthy subjects. Methods: In a prospective, cross sectional study OKN was tested monocularly using TN and NT small field stimulation. Stimulation velocity was 15°/s and 30°/s for children aged under 1 year (n = 97), and 15°/s, 30°/s, 45°/s, and 60°/s for older subjects (1–9 years, n = 66; 10–89 years, n = 86). Gain was measured using infrared oculography. Results: Significant OKN gain asymmetry in favour of TN versus NT stimulation was found during the first 5 months of life (p