Which reflex is primarily responsible for stabilizing vision during head rotation by producing compensatory eye movements?

• A. Optokinetic reflex (OKR)
• B. Optokinetic nystagmus (OKN)
• C. Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR)
• D. Pursuit

Answer: (C)

The vestibulo-ocular reflex stabilizes vision during head rotation by producing eye movements opposite to the direction of head movement. When the head turns, the vestibular apparatus (especially the semicircular canals) detects angular velocity and sends signals to the eyes to move in the opposite direction with roughly the same magnitude. This counter-rotation keeps the image stable on the retina, preserving a clear, steady gaze even as the head moves.

Other reflexes respond to different stimuli. The optokinetic reflex and its eye movements (optokinetic nystagmus) are driven by movement of the visual scene across the retina, helping stabilize vision when the environment itself moves. Pursuit is a voluntary, cortical-driven ability to smoothly track a moving target, not a reflex that automatically stabilizes gaze during head motion.