Cranial Nerves - Oculomotor Flashcards
(100 cards)
The oculomotor system (controlling the movement of our eyes) is designed to do what two things?
- bring targets onto the fovea
- and to keep them there
What five movement systems have been identified to put the fovea on a target and keep it there?
- vestibulo-ocular
- optokinetic
- saccade
- smooth pursuit
- vergence
What 2 movement systems stabilize the eye when the head moves?
- vestibulo-ocular
- optokinetic
What 2 movement systems keep the fovea on a visual target?
- saccade
- smooth pursuit
- vergence
What movement system provides vestibular input that holds images stable on the retina during head and body movement (gaze stabilization)?
vestibulo-ocular
What movement system brings new objects of interest onto the fovea?
saccade
What movement system holds the image of a moving target on the fovea?
smooth pursuit
What movement system provides visual input that holds images stable on the retina during sustained or slow head rotation?
optokinetic
What movement system adjusts the eyes for viewing different distances in depth?
vergence
In an oculomotor system that is functioning normally, the two eyes do what? (locked or unlocked?)
the two eyes are “locked” together (both eyes focus on an object)
What is the result of the eyes being unlocked?
the eyes focus on different targets (retinal disparity), diplopia or double vision occurs
What movement systems allow for conjugate movements of the eyes for foveation?
- vestibulo-ocular
- optokinetic
- saccade
- smooth pursuit
What movement system allows for convergence or divergence (disconjugate movements)?
vergence system
What movement system is used to quickly reposition the eyes (fovea) to focus on an image that has suddenly been moved from the fovea?
Saccade system
What is the term for rapid eye movement required to bring the image back into focus?
saccade
The saccade system is directed through what? located where?
directed through a horizontal gaze center located in the pontine reticular formation (paramedian pontine reticular formation; PPRF) adjacent to the abducens nucleus
The “upper motor neuron control” of the saccade system is a complicated system of interneurons that involves what areas/structures of the brain?
- part of the middle frontal gyrus termed the Frontal Eye Field (FEF; area 8)
- the Superior Colliculus
What are 3 separate and distinct regions within area 8 (Frontal Eye Field)?
- horizontal gaze center
- vertical gaze center
- vergence center
What 2 movement systems/reflexes work together to keep your eyes fixed on an object as your head turns?
vestibulo-ocular and optokinetic reflexes
Your eyes remain fixed and focused on an object by moving at the same speed as your head, but in the opposite direction. This is driven by bilateral input of what system?
vestibular system
When the eyes reach a point in the periphery where they can no longer focus on that object, due tot he image now being directed to the peripheral retina, they reset to a new fixation point. This rapid movement is known as what?
saccade (the movement is rapid enough that visual input is momentarily impaired until the foveas fixate on the next point)
The result of the visual input being momentarily impaired until the foveas fixate on the next point is termed what?
rotatory nystagmus
What are the two components of rotatory nystagmus?
- the slow movement of fixation
- the rapid movement of resetting
This vestibulo-ocular reflex (eyes remain fixed on an object when head turns and refixating) is driven by what system? due to what?
driven by the vestibular system, due to the directional flow of endolymph opposite the direction your head is turning