The use of eye-movement recording in patients with anti-Hu antibody–associated paraneoplastic neurological syndromes to objectively determine extent and course of disease

Background and purpose: Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes with Hu-antibodies (Hu-PNS) are immune-mediated disorders in patients with malignancies, most frequently small cell lung cancer, affecting both the peripheral and central nervous system (CNS). In Hu-PNS, brainstem and cerebellar involvement are common. Here, we assessed whether eye-movement disturbances can be used for diagnosis and monitoring of CNS involvement in Hu-PNS. Methods: Twenty-nine patients with Hu-PNS (17 females; mean age, 63.2 years,) and 14 healthy age-matched controls (seven females; mean age, 60.2 years) were included. Saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements in response to visual stimuli were recorded with video-oculography. Eye movements were scored quantitatively (number of correction saccades, saccadic intrusions, and saccades during fixation period) and qualitatively by two eye-movement experts. In 20 patients, up to three follow-up measurements were made during subsequent hospital visits with fixed 4-week intervals. Disease course was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale. Results: Eye movements were disturbed in 26 of 29 Hu-PNS patients, with horizontal eye movements being in general more impaired. Moreover, in 12 of the 14 Hu-PNS patients without clinical CNS involvement, eye movements were disturbed. Changes in eye-movement control over a period of up to 12 weeks were significantly correlated with the clinical response to treatment (ρ = 0.52, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Hu-PNS often affects eye-movement control, also in the absence of CNS signs or symptoms. Eye-movement recordings in Hu-PNS patients might be a useful tool to objectively monitor progression and treatment efficacy in Hu-PNS patients.