The oculomotor response to angular head movement, or the angular vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), is a measure of the accuracy of communication between the inner ear and the eyes that has been demonstrated for head rotation in yaw, pitch, and roll. Current """"""""high-frequency"""""""" VOR testing methods are insufficient because they fail to take into consideration the effect of otolithic coupling during off-axis head movements - i.e., in the case of not purely horizontal (yawing) or vertical (pitching) head movements. To enable these issues to be properly addressed, we herein propose development of a Kinematic Angular Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex Testing System (KAVORTS) that employs a three-dimensional (3-D) analysis of head motion and orientation during VOR testing in conjunction with the electrooculogram (EOG). Recent advances in the size and performance of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)-based inertial sensors enable the development of a device to provide precise information about head motion and orientation during VOR testing. The Phase I effort will also demonstrate - for the first time - computation of vertical eye asymmetry (bias) as a function of head motion, a capability that will facilitate the stratification of patients in terms of lesion location and progress of vestibular pathology.
