Impairment of saccadic eye movements by scopolamine treatment

Percept Mot Skills. 1993 Feb;76(1):159-67. doi: 10.2466/pms.1993.76.1.159.

Abstract

The effects of Scopolamine on the dynamics of saccadic eye movements, stimulated over a random time interval, have been investigated in humans. A 0.5-mg dose of the drug (intramuscular injection) had various influences on the basic saccadic parameters. For all subjects duration increased and peak velocity decreased, while for 50% of the subjects saccades became hypometric and latency increased. Standard deviation increased consistently too. Moreover, the Scopolamine treatment affected postsaccadic fixation; at the end of many saccades, the eye drifted considerably, but stability was recovered after a few seconds.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cognition Disorders / etiology
  • Eye Diseases / drug therapy
  • Eye Diseases / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Fixation, Ocular
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Saccades / drug effects*
  • Scopolamine / adverse effects
  • Scopolamine / pharmacology*
  • Scopolamine / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Scopolamine