Waespe W, Cohen B, Raphan T
Science. 1985 Apr 12;228(4696):199-202. doi: 10.1126/science.3871968.
The time constant of the decay of slow-phase eye velocity of postrotatory nystagmus or optokinetic after-nystagmus is reduced during exposure to a stationary visual surround (visual suppression). It is also reduced after tilting the head (tilt suppression). A "dump" mechanism in the vestibulo-ocular reflex has been proposed to rapidly discharge activity from the central vestibular system during both types of suppression. Monkeys lost this mechanism after lesions of the nodulus and uvula. They also lost the ability to habituate the time constant of nystagmus on repeated exposure to optokinetic and vestibular stimuli. Periodic alternating nystagmus, which is believed to represent an instability in the vestibulo-ocular reflex, was observed in two of three monkeys. These data indicate that the nodulus and uvula play an important role in suppressing, habituating, and stabilizing the vestibulo-ocular reflex.
在暴露于静止视觉环境（视觉抑制）期间，旋转后眼震或视动性眼震慢相眼速度衰减的时间常数会降低。头部倾斜后（倾斜抑制）该时间常数也会降低。有人提出在前庭眼反射中存在一种“倾倒”机制，在这两种抑制类型期间可迅速排出来自中枢前庭系统的活动。猴子在小结和蚓垂受损后失去了这种机制。它们在反复暴露于视动和前庭刺激时，也失去了使眼震时间常数产生习惯化的能力。在三只猴子中有两只观察到了周期性交替性眼震，据信这代表了前庭眼反射的不稳定性。这些数据表明，小结和蚓垂在抑制、习惯化和稳定前庭眼反射方面发挥着重要作用。
