Binocular coordination of saccades in children with vertigo: Dependency on the vergence state

The present study examines the quality of binocular coordination of saccades at far and near distance in 15 children with symptoms of vertigo headache and equilibrium disorders; these children show normal vestibular function but abnormal convergence eye movements (e.g., long time preparation, slow execution and poor accuracy, see Bucci et al., 2004a and Bucci et al., 2004b). The results show normal binocular saccade coordination at far distance, but large abnormal disconjugacy for saccades at near distance. During combined saccade–vergence movements (studied in six of these children), convergence remains abnormally slow. This supports the interpretation according to which poor binocular yoking of the saccades is linked to the reduced ability to produce fast convergence during the saccade; a learning mechanism based on rapid vergence would help to reduce the abducting–adducting asymmetry of the saccades. An alternative interpretation would be reduced learning ability for monocular adjustment of the saccade signals.