There has been some controversy whether ocular torsion (eye rotation around the line
of sight) is induced in response to a tilted visual scene. The aim of this thesis was to
investigate if ocular torsion can be induced by viewing a tilted visual scene and to
evaluate the effect of different stimuli parameters on the torsional response. In three
different studies, eye movements were recorded binocularly with a modern head
mounted video system on healthy individuals. The stimuli (photos with spatial clues
and abstract images) where displayed on a screen or a LCD in front of the test
subjects.
All subjects responded with a torsional movement in the same direction as a static
tilted stimulus. The response amplitude was small, only compensating for a minor
portion of the stimuli tilt. The response was well conjugate for the right and left eye.
In the first study, a visual scene enriched with spatial clues important for maintaining
posture was found to induce significantly more torsion compared to a scene without
spatial clues. The degree of stimuli tilt had no significant effect, nor the stimuli
periphery. In the second study, torsional response was shown to decay and return
towards the initial baseline, similar to an adaptation, when a tilted stimulus was
viewed for several minutes. In the third study, subjects were presented with a
stimulus that was alternatively tilted (position change) or turned (motion change) in
conflicting directions. The response varied depending on which stimulus was
presented first. When starting with stimulus motion the position stimulus was
neglected. When starting with a position stimulus the stimulus motion was neglected.
In conclusion, a tilted visual scene does induce ocular torsion. The response is
conjugate and it rotates the eyes in a compensatory direction. The torsional amplitude
is small but becomes larger if the stimulus has spatial clues. The response is not
maintained over time and it can be cancelled by a previous response
