Saccades and 6-Methylprednisolone Treatment in Multiple Sclerosis

Saccadic eye movements are studied in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis during a worsening of the disease, before and after high-dose 6-methylprednisolone infusions. The quantitative evaluation was based on the amplitude-duration and amplitude-peak velocity relationships, the precision (i.e., the ratio of actual to desired saccade amplitude) and the latency of saccades. At basal recordings, 15 of the 17 patients showed at least one abnormality. The amplitude-duration relationship improved in one patient and worsened in two patients; the amplitude-peak velocity relationship improved in one and worsened in another patient; and the precision and the latency improved in one and seven patients respectively. In the whole group of patients, the only parameter which showed a significant modification (improvement) was the latency. Finally, the neurophysiological modifications did not match clinical changes. © 1994 Elsevier B.V