CONTROL OF CALORIC NYSTAGMUS BY MANIPULATING AROUSAL AND VISUAL FIXATION DISTANCE

Abstract

Groups of naive and experienced subjects were given a series of aural irrigations under various conditions. Variables manipulated included instructions designed to alert or relax the subjects, fixation distance, and illumination vs. total darkness. The alert condition produced nystagmus of greater amplitude and longer duration and yielded a smoother graphed function than the reverie condition. Near fixation (30.5 cm) yielded greater response than ceiling fixation, and two subjects showed no observable reaction to the latter condition. These findings are of importance in clinical situations and in theoretical formulations of vestibular functioning. Instructions which influence arousal and visual fixation distance should not be matters of inadvertent variation in clinical examination procedures. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 16, 1961
Accession Number
AD0263256

Entities

People

  • F.e.jr Guedry
  • J.b. Posner
  • W.e. Collins

Organizations

  • United States Army Medical Research Laboratory

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amplitude
  • Astigmatism
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Eye Diseases
  • Illumination
  • Instructions
  • Nystagmus

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Brain and Cognitive Science; Experimental Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience