A Physiological Aspect of Nystagmus--Found by Using the Concentric Dual Revolving Apparatus Which Can Stimulate Simultaneously the Eyes and the Ears

Abstract

Optomotor nystagmus is the prototype of nystagmus, and what is called "optomotor nystagms" is the out of mind eye-movement that some moving objects are cast on the retina as a static image. This eye-movement is influenced in the presence of labyrinth. This "influence" itself is the true vestibulo-oculo-motor reflex, that is, labyrinthine reflex which appears in the eye-movement. It is possible to observe nystagmus by caloric test and rotatoric test, but the nystagmus so observed is not "catching the moving in a static form". The examinee becomes uanble to catch even a static body in a normal form. In other words, these methods which have been of significance as the test method of vestibular function are simply to observe the nystagmus of labyrinthine origin, i. e., labyrinthine nystagmus, but never to reveal the true labyrinthine reflex. The concentric dual revolving apparatus is an epoch-making, unique apparatus originated by the authors, by which it is possible to quantitatively determine labyrinthine reflex, with the effect of labyrinth stimulation by revolving angular accelerated velocity on the above-mentioned optomotor nystagmus as the indicator.
The authors will present the following contents; (1). The concentric dual revolving apparatus and its behavior (2). Methodological features of the apparatus related to the study of vestibular function(3). New findings about nystagmus in the normal adults and in the trained subjects (4). Method of analysis---On the vestibular index (named by the authors) (5). Consideration on the physiology of the nystagmus.