Static and dynamic properties of vergence-induced reduction of ocular counter-roll in near vision

Three-dimensional ocular kinematics underlying binocular single vision

We have analyzed the binocular coordination of the eyes during far-to-near refixation saccades based on the evaluation of distance ratios and angular directions of the projected target images relative to the eyes' rotation centers. By defining the geometric point of binocular single vision, called Helmholtz point, we found that disparities during fixations of targets at near distances were limited in the subject's three-dimensional visual field to the vertical and forward directions. These disparities collapsed to simple vertical disparities in the projective binocular image plane. Subjects were able to perfectly fuse the vertically disparate target images with respect to the projected Helmholtz point of single binocular vision, independent of the particular location relative to the horizontal plane of regard. Target image fusion was achieved by binocular torsion combined with corrective modulations of the differential half-vergence angles of the eyes in the horizontal plane. Our findings support the notion that oculomotor control combines vergence in the horizontal plane of regard with active torsion in the frontal plane to achieve fusion of the dichoptic binocular target images.

The kinematics of far-near re-fixation saccades

We have analyzed the three-dimensional spatiotemporal characteristics of saccadic refixations between far and near targets in three behaviorally trained rhesus monkeys. The kinematics underlying these rapid eye movements can be accurately described by rotations of the eyes in four different planes, namely, first disconjugate rotations in the horizontal plane of regard converging the eyes toward the near target, followed by rotations in each eye's vertical direction plane, and finally, disconjugate rotations in a common frontoparallel plane. This compounded rotation of the eye was underlying an initially fast-rising variable torsion that typically overshot the final torsion, which the eyes attained at the time of target acquisition. The torsion consisted of a coarse, widely varying component of opposite polarity in the two eyes, which contained a more robust, much smaller modulation that sharply increased toward the end of saccades. The reorientation of the eyes in torsion depended on each eye's azimuth, elevation, and target distance. We conclude that refixation saccades are generated by motor commands that control ocular torsion in concert with the saccade generator, which operates in Donders-Listing kinematics underlying Listing's law.

The effect of binocular eye position and head rotation plane on the human torsional vestibuloocular reflex

We examined how the gain of the torsional vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) (defined as the instantaneous eye velocity divided by inverted head velocity) in normal humans is affected by eye position, target distance, and the plane of head rotation. In six normal subjects we measured three-dimensional (3D) eye and head rotation axes using scleral search coils, and 6D head position using a magnetic angular and linear position measurement device, during low-amplitude (approximately 20 degrees ), high-velocity (approximately 200 degrees/s), high-acceleration (approximately 4000 degrees /s2) rapid head rotations or 'impulses.' Head impulses were imposed manually and delivered in five planes: yaw (horizontal canal plane), pitch, roll, left anterior-right posterior canal plane (LARP), and right anterior-left posterior canal plane (RALP). Subjects were instructed to fix on one of six targets at eye level. Targets were either straight-ahead, 20 degrees left or 20 degrees right from midline, at distance 15 or 124 cm from the subject. Two subjects also looked at more eccentric targets, 30 degrees left or 30 degrees right from midline. We found that the vertical and horizontal VOR gains increased with the proximity of the target to the subject. Previous studies suggest that the torsional VOR gain should decrease with target proximity. We found, however, that the torsional VOR gain did not change for all planes of head rotation and for both target distances. We also found a dynamic misalignment of the vertical positions of the eyes during the torsional VOR, which was greatest during near viewing with symmetric convergence. This dynamic vertical skew during the torsional VOR arises, in part, because when the eyes are converged, the optical axes are not parallel to the naso-occipital axes around which the eyes are rotating. In five of six subjects, the average skew ranged 0.9 degrees -2.9 degrees and was reduced to <0.4 degrees by a 'torsional' quick-phase (around the naso-occipital axis) occurring <110 ms after the onset of the impulse. We propose that the torsional quick-phase mechanism during the torsional VOR could serve at least three functions: (1) resetting the retinal meridians closer to their usual orientation in the head, (2) correcting for the 'skew' deviation created by misalignment between the axes around which the eyes are rotating and the line of sight, and (3) taking the eyes back toward Listing's plane.