This thesis will address the generation of compensatory eye movements in naturally
mutated or genetically modified mice. The reason for generating compensatory eye
movements is solely related to the requirements for good vision. In a subject moving
through its environment the projection of visual surround would slip across the retina and
retinal slip of more than only a few degrees per second would cause blurring of the
projected image and reduce visual acuity (Westheimer and McKee, 1975).
Compensatory eye movements are therefore generated to assure that visual projections on
the retina remain at approximately the same retinal coordinates, thereby preserving a
stable image despite perturbations due to self-generated or imposed movement of the
head.
Because of its relative simplicity the oculomotor system, which encompasses the
entire transformation from sensory input to the generation of compensatory eye
movements, has served as a particularly useful model for physiologists who try to
understand how the brain controls movement. The repertoire of possible movements in
the oculomotor system is limited to those of the eyeball in its socket, which constitutes a
single joint on which three pairs of extra-ocular muscles exert their force. Each pair of
muscles affects movement around one of three orthogonal rotational axes and due to a
fairly constant mechanical load on the eye muscles no stretch reflex is needed. This
relative simplicity of the oculomotor system and the fact that both behavioral output and
sensory input can be readily measured makes it amenable to detailed quantitative
analysi
