1. An Investigation into the Neural Basis of Convergence Eye Movements
- Author
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Owusu, Emmanuel
- Subjects
- Health, Neurosciences, Ophthalmology, Optics, Physiology, convergence eye movements, correlations, accommodative convergence, disparity convergence, fusional convergence, proximal convergence, neural basis, fMRI, functional imaging
- Abstract
Introduction: Different components of convergence are tonic convergence, disparity convergence, accommodative convergence and proximal. However, it is not clear whether these different components ultimately draw on similar innervational control. Better understanding of the neurology of convergence eye movements could lead to improvement in interventions for deficits in convergence eye movements. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the neural basis for convergence eye movements in binocularly normal young adults. Methods: Two approaches were used. First, clinical measurements were used to determine the correlations among accommodative, disparity and proximal convergence eye movements, as well as between proximal convergence and vergence facility. These correlations were used as an index of the extent of overlaps in their neurological control. Second, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed on a group of adults with normal binocular function as they converged their eyes in response to stimuli for accommodative, disparity, proximal and voluntary convergence eye movements. Results: In the clinical study, stimulus gradient accommodative convergence was negatively correlated with far-near proximal convergence (Spearman’s correlation = -0.6111, p < 0.0001). However, the correlation may be at least in part attributable to the inclusion of gradient AC/A as a component of the calculation of far-near proximal convergence. Disparity convergence did not correlate with measures of proximal convergence. Gradient accommodative convergence was not correlated with the amount of disparity convergence in operation (Spearman’s correlation = -0.1512, p=0.3649). Finally, proximal convergence was not correlated with vergence facility (Spearman’s correlation = +0.1107, p=0.5082 and -0.0149, p=0.9291 for far-near proximal and +2.50D proximal, respectively). In the fMRI study, cluster-based group analysis showed that disparity vergence activated regions in the cuneus, lingual gyrus, precuneus, and middle occipital gyrus of the occipital cortex. Accommodative convergence stimulated regions in the occipital (cuneus and middle occipital gyrus), parietal (precuneus, superior parietal and postcentral) and frontal lobes (precentral and postcentral gyri). Proximal convergence activated regions in the occipital (cuneus and middle occipital gyrus) and parietal lobes (precuneus, inferior parietal lobule and superior parietal lobule). Voluntary convergence activated brain areas in the occipital (cuneus, lingual gyrus and middle occipital gyrus), temporal (middle temporal gyrus), and frontal lobes (precentral and middle central gyri) as well as culmen and declive in the cerebellum. Each of the convergence stimuli activated the cuneus and middle occipital gyrus in the occipital lobe. In addition, both accommodative and proximal convergence eye movements activated the precuneus in the parietal lobe. Similarly, the accommodative and voluntary convergence eye movements both activated the precentral gyrus in the frontal lobe, and the disparity and voluntary convergence eye movements activated the lingual gyrus in the occipital lobe. Conclusion: The imaging study suggests that the convergence components share common neural control pathways even though each also retains unique neural activations. The clinical study suggests that the open-loop vergence components are independent.
- Published
- 2018