Abstract
A clinical and electromyographic study of oculomotor function was carried out in a series of 24 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In 15 cases an alteration of Bell's phenomenon was found. In addition, three patients showed some impairment of conjugate ocular motility in the form of upward gaze paly. All cases had preserved oculocephalic reflexes in the vertical and horizontal planes. On clinical and electromyographic grounds, three degrees of altered Bell's phenomenon are suggested: attenuated (short and unsustained upward displacement of the eyeballs after forced closure of the eyelids), abolished (no upward displacement), and inverted (downward instead of upward displacement of the eyes). These oculomotor alterations were not directly related to the type of ALS at onset of the illness, nor with its duration. However they were correlated with the relative degree of the clinical bilateral pyramidal tract signs at the supraspinal level. The common involvement of the corticogeniculate tract in ALS could explain the unexpectedly high incidence of alteration of Bell's phenomenon found in this disease, but is is non-specific and similar lesions from different causes may also produce it.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- BJORK A. Electromyographic studies on the coordination of antagonistic muscles in cases of abducens and facial palsy. Br J Ophthalmol. 1954 Oct;38(10):605–615. doi: 10.1136/bjo.38.10.605. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bonduelle M., Bouygues P., Lormeau G., Keller J. Etude clinique et évolutive de cent vingt cinq cas de sclérose latérale amyotrophique. Limites nosographiques et associations morbides. Presse Med. 1970 Apr 11;78(18):827–832. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Brownell B., Oppenheimer D. R., Hughes J. T. The central nervous system in motor neurone disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1970 Jun;33(3):338–357. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.33.3.338. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Castaigne P., Lhermitte F., Cambier J., Escourolle R., Le Bigot P. Etude neuropathologique de 62 observations de sclérose latérale amyotrophique. Discussion nosologique. Rev Neurol (Paris) 1972 Oct;127(4):401–414. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Corin M. S., Elizan T. S., Bender M. B. Oculomotor function in patients with Parkinson's disease. J Neurol Sci. 1972 Mar;15(3):251–265. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(72)90068-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- FRIEDMAN A. P., FREEDMAN D. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1950 Jan;111(1):1–18. doi: 10.1097/00005053-195011110-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- HOTZ G. Uber das Vorkommen des Parinaud-Syndroms bei amyotrophischer Lateralsklerose. Confin Neurol. 1956;16(1):25–37. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lapresle J., Salisachs P. Phénomènes de dissociation volontaire et automatico-réflexe au niveau de certains muscles innervés par les paires crâniennes dans deux observations de sclérose latérale amyotrophique. Rev Neurol (Paris) 1976 Feb;132(2):157–161. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lessell S. Supranuclear paralysis of monocular elevation. Neurology. 1975 Dec;25(12):1134–1143. doi: 10.1212/wnl.25.12.1134. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Pasik P., Pasik T., Bender M. B. The pretectal syndrome in monkeys. I. Disturbances of gaze and body posture. Brain. 1969;92(3):521–534. doi: 10.1093/brain/92.3.521. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- SZENTAGOTHAI J. Recherches experimentales sur les voies oculogyres. Sem Hop. 1950 Aug 26;26(63):2989–2995. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Troost B. T., Weber R. B., Daroff R. B. Hemispheric control of eye movements. I. Quantitative analysis of refixation saccades in a hemispherectomy patient. Arch Neurol. 1972 Nov;27(5):441–448. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1972.00490170073010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]