OCULAR ABNORMALITIES IN AMYOTROPHIC-LATERAL-SCLEROSIS

It has long been known that the oculomotor system is not involved in a myotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In early stages. Some authors sugg est oculomotor abnormalities in some patients. In the present study, q uantitative analysis of ocular movements including smooth pursuit eye movements, optokinetic nystagmus (OKN), visual suppression of vestibul ar nystagmus (VS), and horizontal saccades were investigated in 9 pati ents with ALS. These patients were neurologically diagnosed as having ALS in the early stage. The results were as follows; The velocity of s accade was markedly reduced in 4 patients. In addition, there were abn ormalities of smooth pursuit (one patient), OKN (one patient) and visu al suppression (2 patients). Furthermore, these abnormalities were obs erved more often in patients with bulbar signs, In conclusion, the res ults suggest a existence of ocular abnormalities in ALS, even at early stages.