Are smooth pursuit eye movements altered in chronic whiplash-associated disorders? A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective : To evaluate whether smooth pursuit eye movements differed between patients with long-lasting whiplash-associated disorders and controls when using a purely computerized method for the eye movement analysis. Design : Cross-sectional study comparing patients with whiplash-associated disorders and controls who had not been exposed to head or neck trauma and had no notable neck complaints. Methods : Smooth pursuit eye movements were registered while the subjects were seated with and without rotated cervical spine. Subjects : Thirty-four patients with whiplash-associated disorders with symptoms more than six months after a car collision and 60 controls. Results : Smooth pursuit eye movements were almost identical in patients with chronic whiplash-associated disorders and controls, both when the neck was rotated and in the neutral position. Conclusion : Disturbed smooth pursuit eye movements do not appear to be a distinct feature in patients with chronic whiplash-associated disorders. This is in contrast to results of previous studies and may be due to the fact that analyses were performed in a computerized and objective manner. Other possible reasons for the discrepancy to previous studies are discussed.