Ocular Flutter

Ocular Flutter

Ocular flutter is an eye movement disorder characterized by involuntary bursts of back-to-back horizontal saccades without an intersaccadic interval (cf. square-wave jerks). Ocular flutter may be accurately diagnosed with oculography.
The postulated mechanism of ocular flutter is loss of "pause" neuronal inhibition of "burst" neurone function in the paramedian pontine reticular formation (PPRF). A case of ocular flutter with a circumscribed inflammatory pontine lesion involving the PPRF, in which clinical and neuroradiological improvement occurred together, has been reported, supporting the argument that, at least in some cases, PPRF lesions may be associated with ocular flutter.

References

Schon F, Hodgson TL, Mort D, Kennard C. Ocular flutter associated with a localized lesion in the paramedian pontine reticular formation. Annals of Neurology 2001; 50: 413-416

Cross References

Opsoclonus; Saccades; Saccadic intrusion, Saccadic pursuit; Square-wave jerks