[Frontal cortical dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD): Comparison of memory-based smooth-pursuit and anti-saccade tasks, and neuropsychological and motor symptom evaluations].

We reported recently that during a memory-based smooth-pursuit task, most Parkinson's disease (PD) patients exhibited normal cue-information memory but impaired smooth-pursuit preparation and execution. A minority of PD patients had abnormal cue-information memory or difficulty in understanding the task. To further examine differences between these two groups, we assigned an anti-saccade task and compared correct rates with various neuropsychological and motor symptom evaluations.

[Visual tracking with/without passive whole-body rotation in Parkinson's disease (PD): Dissociation of smooth-pursuit and cancellation of vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR)].

Although impaired smooth-pursuit in Parkinson's disease (PD) is well known, reports are conflicting on the ability to cancel vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) when the target moves with head, requiring gaze-pursuit. To compare visual tracking performance with or without passive whole-body rotation, we examined eye movements of 10 PD patients and 6 age-matched controls during sinusoidal horizontal smooth-pursuit and passive whole-body rotation (0.3 Hz, ± 10°).

Impaired smooth-pursuit in Parkinson's disease: normal cue-information memory, but dysfunction of extra-retinal mechanisms for pursuit preparation and execution.

While retinal image motion is the primary input for smooth-pursuit, its efficiency depends on cognitive processes including prediction. Reports are conflicting on impaired prediction during pursuit in Parkinson's disease. By separating two major components of prediction (image motion direction memory and movement preparation) using a memory-based pursuit task, and by comparing tracking eye movements with those during a simple ramp-pursuit task that did not require visual memory, we examined smooth-pursuit in 25 patients with Parkinson's disease and compared the results with 14 age-matched controls.

[Cerebellum and eye movement control -- neuronal mechanisms of memory-based smooth-pursuit and their early clinical application].

Recent studies implicate the cerebellum in cognitive functions in addition to its well-established roles in motor control and learning. Using a memory-based smooth-pursuit task that separates visual working memory from motor preparation and execution, monkeys were trained to pursue (i.e.

Effects of stroke-induced damage to swallow-related areas in the brain on swallowing mechanics of elderly patients.

Aim: Our objective was to determine the relationship between defective swallowing mechanics and the location of brain lesions in stroke patients.

Methods: We evaluated swallowing mechanics in 37 stroke patients and 10 age-matched control subjects by videofluoroscopy. Subjects were asked to swallow 10 successive 1.

Calcified vestibular schwannoma in the cerebellopontine angle.

Although vestibular schwannoma is a common tumor in the cerebellopontine angle, calcified vestibular schwannoma is rare. A 59-year-old woman with sudden onset epileptic seizures, was referred to Hokkaido Neurosurgical Memorial Hospital. Neurological examination revealed left Bruns nystagmus, left deafness and left cerebellar ataxia.