Paper Contents
Abstract
Abstract Background: Saccadic eye movements are rapid gaze shifts crucial for visual exploration and daily functioning. Stroke can disrupt their latency, velocity, and accuracy, reflecting damage to cortical, brainstem, or cerebellar pathways. Videonystagmography (VNG) offers objective quantification of these parameters but remains underutilized in post-stroke assessment. Objective: To analyze saccadic latency, peak velocity, and accuracy in unilateral stroke patients using VNG and compare patterns between cortical and brainstem/cerebellar lesions. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted on 40 stroke patients (20 cortical, 20 brainstem/cerebellar) and 20 healthy controls. Horizontal (±10°, ±20°) and vertical saccades were recorded using standardized VNG protocols. Latency (ms), peak velocity (°/s), and accuracy (%) were measured and compared across groups using ANOVA, with lesion–parameter correlations analyzed via Pearson’s r. Results: Stroke groups showed significantly prolonged latency (cortical: 250 ± 30 ms; brainstem/cerebellar: 310 ± 45 ms; controls: 190 ± 20 ms; p < 0.001), reduced velocity (320 ± 60 vs. 210 ± 50 vs. 370 ± 40 °/s; p < 0.001), and decreased accuracy (80 ± 12% vs. 70 ± 10% vs. 95 ± 5%; p < 0.001). Cortical lesions primarily increased latency, while brainstem/cerebellar lesions caused marked velocity reduction and greater hypometria. Conclusion: VNG-based saccadic testing detects lesion-specific ocular motor patterns in stroke, with cortical damage linked to delayed initiation and brainstem/cerebellar lesions associated with impaired dynamics and accuracy. Integrating saccadic profiling into stroke evaluation may enhance lesion localization and rehabilitation planning. Keywords: saccades, videonystagmography, stroke, latency, peak velocity, accuracy, lesion localization
Copyright
Copyright © 2026 Dr Arun P T, Dr Sonia Narang, Shipra , Ravi Shankar kumar . This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
