Proprioceptive contribution to oculomotor control in humans

Balslev, Daniela; Mitchell, A.G.; Faria, Patrick J. M.; Priba, Lukasz; Macfarlane, Jennifer A.

doi:10.1002/hbm.26080

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Cervical spine proprioception has been shown to influence oculomotor control [ 72 ], and impairment can produce sensorimotor disruption, affecting visual functions influenced by the cervical spine [ 73 , 74 ]. Treatments focusing on improving proprioceptive input from the cervical spine and improving head−eye coordinative movements have been observed to improve saccadic performance [ 75 , 76 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Cervical Spinal Manipulation on Saccadic Eye Movements

Klotzek,

Jemni,

Groves

et al. 2024

Brain Sciences

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Quantifying saccadic eye movements can assist in identifying dysfunctional brain networks in both healthy and diseased people. Infrared Oculography is a simple and non-invasive approach to capturing and quantifying saccades, providing information that might aid in diagnosis and outcome assessments. The effect of spinal manipulation on quantified saccadic performance parameters has not been fully studied despite known post-manipulative effects on the brain and brainstem regions controlling them. This case study investigates spinal manipulation’s immediate and long-term effects on saccadic eye movements by quantifying the saccades of a male patient diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. The patient performed horizontal saccades that were quantified before and immediately following cervical spinal manipulation both at the case study’s start and following a 2-week interim, during which the subject received six manipulative treatments. Immediate and long-term post-manipulative effects were observed, and the results revealed various post-manipulative effects across all quantified parameters in addition to between right and leftward saccades. The immediate post-manipulative effect was greatest at the case study’s onset, while the long-term right and leftward saccadic symmetry were most affected. The observations in this case study demonstrate that cervical spinal manipulation influences saccadic eye movements, providing new insights into its central neurological effects and therapeutic applications beyond its most commonly known use in pain management. More importantly, it encourages scientists to undertake further clinical investigations on wider scales.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Cervical Spinal Manipulation on Saccadic Eye Movements

Klotzek,

Jemni,

Groves

et al. 2024

Brain Sciences

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“…This finding indicates that the ungulate EOM spindles are stretch-sensitive and register changes in muscle length. Support for the idea that human EOM spindles respond to stretch came from a recent study that used functional magnetic resonance imaging to visualize neuronal activity (Balslev et al, 2022).…”

Section: Muscle Spindles In Extraocular Musclesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This finding indicates that the ungulate EOM spindles are stretch‐sensitive and register changes in muscle length. Support for the idea that human EOM spindles respond to stretch came from a recent study that used functional magnetic resonance imaging to visualize neuronal activity (Balslev et al., 2022 ). It was shown that the stretch of the right lateral rectus was associated with the increased neuronal activity of the left oculomotor and left abducens nuclei.…”

Section: Muscle Spindles In Extraocular Musclesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It was shown that the stretch of the right lateral rectus was associated with the increased neuronal activity of the left oculomotor and left abducens nuclei. The authors (Balslev et al., 2022 ) have speculated that following muscle stretch, afferents from EOM spindles are transmitted to the EOM motor nuclei at the contralateral side where they evoke activity of the EOM motoneurons. The pathway by which afferents from human EOM spindles reach the brainstem at the contralateral side is unknown.…”

Section: Muscle Spindles In Extraocular Musclesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Surprisingly, the opposite is the case and, with few exceptions, the classical proprioceptor pair is absent in most mammalian species (Maier et al., 1974 ). Despite the lack of proprioceptors, behavioural and experimental studies have provided evidence that proprioceptive signals from the EOMs reach the brain (Balslev & Miall, 2008 ; Balslev et al., 2022 ; Donaldson, 2000 ; Gauthier et al., 1990 ; Steinbach & Smith, 1981 ; Wang et al., 2007 ). This suggests that the brain uses sensory feedback from EOMs to calculate eye position.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Proprioceptors in extraocular muscles

Blumer

Carrero-Rojas

Calvo

et al. 2023

Experimental Physiology

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New Findings What is the topic of this review? This review aims to evaluate the literature on proprioceptors and particular nerve specializations (palisade endings) in mammalian extraocular muscles (EOMs) and to reconsider current knowledge of their structure and function. What advances does it highlight? Classical proprioceptors (muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs) are absent in the EOMs of most mammals. Instead, palisade endings are present in most mammalian EOMs. For many years, palisade endings were considered to be sensory but recent studies show that they combine sensory and motor features. The functional significance of palisade endings is still debated. AbstractProprioception is the sense that lets us perceive the location, movement and action of the body parts. The proprioceptive apparatus includes specialized sense organs (proprioceptors) which are embedded in the skeletal muscles. The eyeballs are moved by six pairs of eye muscles and binocular vision depends on fine‐tuned coordination of the optical axes of both eyes. Although experimental studies indicate that the brain has access to eye position information, both classical proprioceptors (muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organ) are absent in the extraocular muscles of most mammalian species. This paradox of monitoring extraocular muscle activity in the absence of typical proprioceptors seemed to be resolved when a particular nerve specialization (the palisade ending) was detected in the extraocular muscles of mammals. In fact, for decades there was consensus that palisade endings were sensory structures that provide eye position information. The sensory function was called into question when recent studies revealed the molecular phenotype and the origin of palisade endings. Today we are faced with the fact that palisade endings exhibit sensory as well as motor features. This review aims to evaluate the literature on extraocular muscle proprioceptors and palisade endings and to reconsider current knowledge of their structure and function.

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Proprioceptive contribution to oculomotor control in humans

Balslev

Mitchell

Faria

et al. 2022

Human Brain Mapping

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Stretch receptors in the extraocular muscles (EOMs) inform the central nervous system about the rotation of one's own eyes in the orbits. Whereas fine control of the skeletal muscles hinges critically on proprioceptive feedback, the role of proprioception in oculomotor control remains unclear. Human behavioural studies provide evidence for EOM proprioception in oculomotor control, however, behavioural and electrophysiological studies in the macaque do not. Unlike macaques, humans possess numerous muscle spindles in their EOMs. To find out whether the human oculomotor nuclei respond to proprioceptive feedback we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). With their eyes closed, participants placed their right index finger on the eyelid at the outer corner of the right eye. When prompted by a sound, they pushed the eyeball gently and briefly towards the nose. Control conditions separated out motor and tactile task components. The stretch of the right lateral rectus muscle was associated with activation of the left oculomotor nucleus and subthreshold activation of the left abducens nucleus. Because these nuclei control the horizontal movements of the left eye, we hypothesized that proprioceptive stimulation of the right EOM triggered left eye movement. To test this, we followed up with an eye-tracking experiment in complete darkness using the same behavioural task as in the fMRI study. The left eye moved actively in the direction of the passive displacement of the right eye, albeit with a smaller amplitude. Eye tracking corroborated neuroimaging findings to suggest a proprioceptive contribution to ocular alignment.

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Proprioceptive contribution to oculomotor control in humans

Cited by 5 publications

References 66 publications

Effects of Cervical Spinal Manipulation on Saccadic Eye Movements

Effects of Cervical Spinal Manipulation on Saccadic Eye Movements

Proprioceptors in extraocular muscles

Proprioceptive contribution to oculomotor control in humans

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