Deactivation of human visual cortex during involuntary ocular oscillations : A PET activation study

Prompted by the observation of decreased glucose metabolism in the striate and extrastriate visual cortex in a patient with opsoclonus, we studied the influence of involuntary eye movements on visual cortex activity. Repeated measurements of cerebral blood flow (CBF) by PET were performed in 12 heal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brain (London, England : 1878) England : 1878), 1996-02, Vol.119 (1), p.101-110
Main Authors: WENZEL, R, BARTENSTEIN, P, DIETERICH, M, DANEK, A, WEINDL, A, MINOSHIMA, S, ZIEGLER, S, SCHWAIGER, M, BRANDT, T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Blood Flow Velocity
Cerebrovascular Circulation
Cold Temperature
Deoxyglucose - analogs & derivatives
Female
Fluorine Radioisotopes
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
Humans
Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects)
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Nervous system
Nystagmus, Physiologic
Ocular Motility Disorders - diagnosis
Ocular Motility Disorders - diagnostic imaging
Ocular Motility Disorders - physiopathology
Physical Stimulation
Radionuclide investigations
Regional Blood Flow
Tomography, Emission-Computed
Vestibule, Labyrinth - physiology
Visual Cortex - blood supply
Visual Cortex - physiology
Water
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Summary:Prompted by the observation of decreased glucose metabolism in the striate and extrastriate visual cortex in a patient with opsoclonus, we studied the influence of involuntary eye movements on visual cortex activity. Repeated measurements of cerebral blood flow (CBF) by PET were performed in 12 healthy volunteers using H2(15)O-bolus technique after ear canal irrigation with ice cold or warm (44 degrees C) water with the subjects eyes closed. In addition to blood flow increases in areas involved in central vestibular processing, statistical subtraction analysis revealed a nearly symmetrical, bilateral, highly significant decrease in the occipital cortex covering Brodmann areas 17, 18, and 19 after ice water stimulation of either ears. Region of interest analysis revealed in all subjects a mean decrease in regional CBF (rCBF) of 12.8% (range 4.6-21.0%) in these areas. A similar but less pronounced effect (mean rCBF decrease in visual cortex 4.8%, range 1.1-11.5%) was observed after warm water irrigation. The observations suggest that deactivation of the visual cortex is induced by involuntary ocular oscillations. This deactivation is not dependent on changes of the retinal input (eyes closed). The physiological significance of this hitherto unknown phenomenon may be the protection from inadequate visual input (oscillopsia) during involuntary ocular oscillations.
ISSN:0006-8950
1460-2156
DOI:10.1093/brain/119.1.101