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Imaging correlates of neural control of ocular movements

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Abstract

The purpose of oculomotor movements is maintenance of clear images on the retina. Beyond this oversimplification, it requires several different types of ocular movements and reflexes to focus objects of interest to the fovea—the only portion of retina capable of sharp and clear vision. The different movements and reflexes that execute this task are the saccades, smooth pursuit movements, fixation, accommodation, and the optokinetic and vestibulo-ocular reflexes. Many different centres in the cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem and thalami, control these movements via different pathways. At the outset, these mechanisms appear dauntingly complex to a radiologist. However, only a little effort could make it possible to understand these neural controls and empower the reading session. The following review on ocular movements and their neural control will enable radiologists and clinicians to correlate lesions with clinical deficits effectively without being swamped by exhaustive detail.

Key Points

• Knowledge of cortical and subcortical areas controlling ocular movements is important.

• Understanding of neural control of ocular movements makes a good foundation.

• Awareness of anatomic areas controlling ocular movements helps in clinico-radiologic correlation.

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Acknowledgments

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Suyash Mohan. The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article. The authors state that this work has not received any funding. No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper. Institutional review board approval was not required because it is not original research. Written informed consent was not required for this study because no subjects were involved. Approval from the institutional animal care committee was not required because the study is not on animals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Section of Neuroradiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA

    Mohit Agarwal, John L. Ulmer, Tushar Chandra, Andrew P. Klein & Leighton P. Mark

  2. Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology Section, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Suyash Mohan

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  1. Mohit Agarwal
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  2. John L. Ulmer
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Correspondence to Mohit Agarwal.

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Agarwal, M., Ulmer, J.L., Chandra, T. et al. Imaging correlates of neural control of ocular movements. Eur Radiol 26, 2193–2205 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-4004-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-4004-9

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