Modelling the three dimensional structure of velocity storage in the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR)

Abstract

It is shown that velocity storage can be generalized to three dimensions to explain the cross-coupling from horizontal slow phase velocity to vertical and roll eye velocity. The key conclusion is that the eigenvalues and the orientation of the eigenvectors of the system matrix associated with the velocity storage integrator are closely linked to the gravitational field. Gravity appears to maintain the eigenvectors with the smallest eigenvalues, i.e. the principal axes of storage, close to the spatial vertical regardless of head orientation.<>