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Components of the neural signal underlying congenital nystagmus

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Abstract

Congenital nystagmus is an involuntary bilateral horizontal oscillation of the eyes that develops soon after birth. In this study, the time constants of each of the components of the neural signal underlying congenital nystagmus were obtained by time series analysis and interpreted by comparison with those of the normal oculomotor system. In the neighbourhood of the fixation position, the system generating the neural signal is approximately linear with 3 degrees of freedom. The shortest time constant was in the range of 7–9 ms and corresponds to a normal saccadic burst signal. The other stable time constant was in the range of 22–70 ms and corresponds to the slide signal. The final time constant characterises the unidentified neural mechanism underlying the unstable drift component of the oscillation cycle and ranges between 31 and 32 ms across waveforms. The characterisation of this unstable time constant poses a challenge for the modelling of both the normal and abnormal oculomotor control system. We tentatively identify the unstable component with the eye position signal supplied to the superior colliculus in the normal eye movement system and explore some of the implications of this hypothesis.

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Acknowledgments

O. E. A was supported by a grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. R. V. A and D. S. B were supported by a grant (MMI 09774) from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. R. V. A. was also supported by a Science Foundation Ireland Walton Grant (07/W.I/B1820). R. A. C was supported by a grant from the British Eye Research Foundation.

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Author notes

  1. Richard A. Clement

    Present address: Centre for Systems, Dynamics and Control, College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QF, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Systems, Dynamics and Control, College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QF, UK

    Ozgur E. Akman

  2. School of Mathematics, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

    David S. Broomhead

  3. Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, M60 1QD, UK

    Richard V. Abadi

  4. Department of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland

    Richard V. Abadi

  5. Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, WC1N 1EH, UK

    Richard A. Clement

Authors
  1. Ozgur E. Akman
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  2. David S. Broomhead
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  3. Richard V. Abadi
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  4. Richard A. Clement
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Correspondence to Ozgur E. Akman.

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Akman, O.E., Broomhead, D.S., Abadi, R.V. et al. Components of the neural signal underlying congenital nystagmus. Exp Brain Res 220, 213–221 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-012-3130-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-012-3130-8

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