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Head taps evoke a crossed vestibulo-ocular reflex

From the Vestibular Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (S.I., A.M.B., J.K., I.S.C.); Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan (S.I.); Neurology Department, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia (L.A.M., G.M.H.); and Neurology Department, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia (J.G.C.).

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Ian S. Curthoys, School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; e-mail: ianc{at}psych.usyd.edu.au

Taps to the forehead on the midline, at the hairline (Fz), with a reflex hammer or powerful bone conduction vibrator caused short-latency surface potentials from beneath both eyes in all healthy subjects. The earliest negative responses were invariably absent from the eye contralateral to the side of a previous vestibular nerve section but were preserved despite sensorineural hearing loss. These responses probably reflect vestibular function via crossed otolith–ocular pathways.

Supported by a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Received July 21, 2006. Accepted in final form December 4, 2006.

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