Saccadic Movements in subjects with cerebellar disorders

Saccades are part of the electrooculography tests battery. The cerebellum has important connections with the brainstem and thalamic structures involved in the generation of saccades. AIM: to study saccadic movements in subjects with cerebellar disorders. STUDY METHOD: Prospective clinical study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 11 subjects with cerebellar disorders were selected, together with a control group with 27 normal subjects. The patients of both groups had their saccadic movements registered (fixed and randomized). We compared and quantitatively analyzed the responses from both groups. RESULTS: We did not find any differences among the quantitative parameters between the two. Age and gender did not influence these values. Despite these findings, the morphologies of the saccadic curves were very different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Quantitative parameters of horizontal saccades from individuals with cerebellar diseases do not differ from those presented by normal subjects. Gender and age also did not influence these parameters.