Peripheral Vestibular Pathology in Schizophrenic Infants-Reply

Concerning Gordon's first point, our conclusion that "the transitory nature of the decreased nystagmus rules out the possibility of an organic lesion of the vestibular system"1 was not, in his words, "intended to mean that there cannot be any peripheral vestibular dysfunction" (our italics). The term "vestibular hyporeactivity" in the title referred to the specific alteration in function that was observed sporadically in the infants at risk for schizophrenia. "Organic lesion" was used as it is ordinarily defined, to mean "a wound or injury, a circumscribed pathological alteration of tissue."²

The fact that the decreased nystagmus was associated with the "abnormal quiet state" and with the four instances of severe apathy (coincident with the most severe pandevelopmental retardation) suggested to us that "there may have been a covert depression of arousal that accompanied the periods of most profound integrative disorder."¹ Gordon claims that "in clinical practice the distinct