VOLUNTARY SACCADIC OSCILLATIONS, RESEMBLING OCULAR FLUTTER AND OPSOCLONUS

Two human subjects, who had no signs of other neurologic disorders, pr oduced large amplitude, to-and-fro saccadic oscillations. One subject generated these oscillations intentionally. Eye movement recordings by DC electro-oculography and/or magnetic scleral search coil showed tha t the movements were bursts of conjugate saccades in opposing directio ns with no intersaccadic intervals. They were multidirectional (horizo ntal, vertical, or oblique), had amplitudes up to 40 degrees and had l inear or curvilinear trajectories. These characteristics are similar t o those of ocular Butter and opsoclonus in patients with brainstem and /or cerebellar disorders. Our observations show that fixation instabil ities resembling ocular Butter and opsoclonus can be produced voluntar ily.