Eye Movement Recordings in Neurological Disorders

Anomalies of eye movements occur in many disorders involving the central nervous system. Usually, description of such anomalies is based on gross clinical observations alone, using such tests as the following: Pursuit movements are tested by having the patient follow a flashlight that is moved slowly back and forth before his eyes. The ability to fixate and refixate laterally displaced targets (movement of regard, saccadic movement) is examined by asking the patient to look quickly between two objects held to the right and left before his eyes. The presence or absence of spontaneous nystagmus in different positions of gaze is noted, but amplitude and frequency are difficult to analyze in this manner. Observation of the eyes during such tests is undoubtedly an adequate method to detect gross anomalies of eye movements. However, it is obvious that more refined methods to analyze eye movements are not only more likely to provide