Three-Dimensional Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex in Humans: a Matter of Balance

textabstractThe objective of this thesis was to quantify three-dimensional ocular stability in response to head movements in healthy human subjects and in patients with various types of peripheral vestibular disorders. Despite a large increase in our knowledge from animal and human studies about the neuronal circuitry that regulates three-dimensional (3D) vestibular organization (for a recent review see Angelaki and Cullen 2008), its application to clinical practice is still a long way ahead. In order to bridge this gap, we explored in healthy subjects the naturally occurring variability in 3D vestibulo-ocular stabilization and compared these results with changes that occur in 3D vestibulo-ocular stabilization in patients with various types of unilateral vestibular disorders