scholarly journals Fixation eye movement abnormalities and stereopsis recovery following strabismus repair

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Talora L. Martin ◽  
Jordan Murray ◽  
Kiran Garg ◽  
Charles Gallagher ◽  
Aasef G. Shaikh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Functional Improvement ◽  
Slow Phase ◽  
Fixational Eye Movements ◽  
Movement Characteristics ◽  
Adaptive Mechanisms ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Gaze Holding ◽  
Fixational Saccades

AbstractWe evaluated the effects of strabismus repair on fixational eye movements (FEMs) and stereopsis recovery in patients with fusion maldevelopment nystagmus (FMN) and patients without nystagmus. Twenty-one patients with strabismus, twelve with FMN and nine without nystagmus, were tested before and after strabismus repair. Eye-movements were recorded during a gaze-holding task under monocular viewing conditions. Fast (fixational saccades and quick phases of nystagmus) and slow (inter-saccadic drifts and slow phases of nystagmus) FEMs and bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA) were analyzed in the viewing and non-viewing eye. Strabismus repair improved the angle of strabismus in subjects with and without FMN, however patients without nystagmus were more likely to have improvement in stereoacuity. The fixational saccade amplitudes and intersaccadic drift velocities in both eyes decreased after strabismus repair in subjects without nystagmus. The slow phase velocities were higher in patients with FMN compared to inter-saccadic drifts in patients without nystagmus. There was no change in the BCEA after surgery in either group. In patients without nystagmus, the improvement of the binocular function (stereopsis), as well as decreased fixational saccade amplitude and intersaccadic drift velocity, could be due, at least partially, to central adaptive mechanisms rendered possible by surgical realignment of the eyes. The absence of improvement in patients with FMN post strabismus repair likely suggests the lack of such adaptive mechanisms in patients with early onset infantile strabismus. Assessment of fixation eye movement characteristics can be a useful tool to predict functional improvement post strabismus repair.

Extraocular muscle proprioception functions in the control of ocular alignment and eye movement conjugacy

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 1028-1031 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. F. Lewis ◽  
D. S. Zee ◽  
B. M. Gaymard ◽  
B. L. Guthrie
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Extraocular Muscle ◽  
Efference Copy ◽  
Binocular Viewing ◽  
Error Signal ◽  
Muscle Proprioception ◽  
Adaptive Mechanisms ◽  
Before And After

1. The function of extraocular muscle proprioception in the control of eye movements is uncertain. We tested the hypothesis that proprioception contributes to the long-term regulation of ocular alignment and eye movement conjugacy. 2. Eye movements were recorded in monkeys with unilateral extraocular muscle palsies, before and after proprioceptive deafferentation of the paretic eye. Following deafferentation, ocular alignment and saccade conjugacy gradually worsened over several weeks. In contrast, disconjugate adaptation induced by habitual binocular viewing with a prism (disparity-mediated adaptation) occurred normally after deafferentation. 3. These results provide the first evidence that proprioception functions in the control of eye movements in primates, and indicate that proprioception contributes to the long-term adaptive mechanisms that regulate ocular alignment during fixation and saccades. The error signal used in this process may be derived from a mismatch between the efference copy and proprioceptive afference.

scholarly journals Fixational eye movement waveforms in amblyopia: Characteristics of fast and slow eye movements

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Linda Kang ◽  
Sinem B. Beylergil ◽  
Jorge Otero-Millan ◽  
Aasef Shaikh ◽  
Fatema Ghasia
Keyword(s):  
Visual Acuity ◽  
Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Treatment Effectiveness ◽  
Eye Diseases ◽  
Fixational Eye Movements ◽  
Fixation Stability ◽  
Slow Eye Movements ◽  
Fixational Saccades ◽  
The Impact

Fixational eye movements comprise of fast microsaccades alternating with slow inter-saccadic drifts. These physiologic eye movements play an important role in visual perception.  Amblyopic patients are known to have fixation instability, particularly of the amblyopic eye. We examined eye movement abnormalities that contribute to this instability. We found that fixation stability is affected by the presence of fusion maldevelopment nystagmus (FMN). However, some amblyopes can have nystagmus without nasally directed slow phases and reversal in direction of the quick phase on ocular occlusion, features seen in FMN. In patients without nystagmus, we found increased amplitude of fixational saccades and inter-saccadic drifts. We categorized amblyopia patients by type (anisometropic, strabismic, or mixed) and eye movement waveform (no nystagmus, nystagmus without FMN, and FMN). We found specific fast and slow eye movement abnormalities of the fellow and amblyopic eye during fellow, amblyopic and both eyes viewing conditions across eye movement waveforms and types of amblyopia. These eye movement abnormalities can serve as biomarkers that can predict the impact of amblyopia as measured by visual acuity and stereopsis. Evaluation of fixational eye movements in amblyopia could be important to diagnose these common eye diseases and predict treatment effectiveness. 

scholarly journals Eye Movements in Response to Pain-Related Feelings in the Presence of Low and High Cognitive Loads

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Ramtin Zargari Marandi ◽  
Camilla Ann Fjelsted ◽  
Iris Hrustanovic ◽  
Rikke Dan Olesen ◽  
Parisa Gazerani
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Pain Perception ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Load Level ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Pupillary Responses ◽  
Movement Characteristics

The affective dimension of pain contributes to pain perception. Cognitive load may influence pain-related feelings. Eye tracking has proven useful for detecting cognitive load effects objectively by using relevant eye movement characteristics. In this study, we investigated whether eye movement characteristics differ in response to pain-related feelings in the presence of low and high cognitive loads. A set of validated, control, and pain-related sounds were applied to provoke pain-related feelings. Twelve healthy young participants (six females) performed a cognitive task at two load levels, once with the control and once with pain-related sounds in a randomized order. During the tasks, eye movements and task performance were recorded. Afterwards, the participants were asked to fill out questionnaires on their pain perception in response to the applied cognitive loads. Our findings indicate that an increased cognitive load was associated with a decreased saccade peak velocity, saccade frequency, and fixation frequency, as well as an increased fixation duration and pupil dilation range. Among the oculometrics, pain-related feelings were reflected only in the pupillary responses to a low cognitive load. The performance and perceived cognitive load decreased and increased, respectively, with the task load level and were not influenced by the pain-related sounds. Pain-related feelings were lower when performing the task compared with when no task was being performed in an independent group of participants. This might be due to the cognitive engagement during the task. This study demonstrated that cognitive processing could moderate the feelings associated with pain perception.

scholarly journals A Fast and Effective System for Analysis of Optokinetic Waveforms with a Low-Cost Eye Tracking Device

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Chong-Bin Tsai ◽  
Wei-Yu Hung ◽  
Wei-Yen Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Saccadic Eye Movements ◽  
Slow Phase ◽  
Eye Tracker ◽  
Effective System ◽  
Tracking Device ◽  
Traditional Approaches

Optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) is an involuntary eye movement induced by motion of a large proportion of the visual field. It consists of a “slow phase (SP)” with eye movements in the same direction as the movement of the pattern and a “fast phase (FP)” with saccadic eye movements in the opposite direction. Study of OKN can reveal valuable information in ophthalmology, neurology and psychology. However, the current commercially available high-resolution and research-grade eye tracker is usually expensive. Methods & Results: We developed a novel fast and effective system combined with a low-cost eye tracking device to accurately quantitatively measure OKN eye movement. Conclusions: The experimental results indicate that the proposed method achieves fast and promising results in comparisons with several traditional approaches.

Quantitative Analysis of Abducens Neuron Discharge Dynamics During Saccadic and Slow Eye Movements

1999 ◽  
Vol 82 (5) ◽  
pp. 2612-2632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre A. Sylvestre ◽  
Kathleen E. Cullen
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Firing Rate ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Smooth Pursuit ◽  
Slow Phase ◽  
Vestibular Nystagmus ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
Rapid Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Velocity

The mechanics of the eyeball and its surrounding tissues, which together form the oculomotor plant, have been shown to be the same for smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements. Hence it was postulated that similar signals would be carried by motoneurons during slow and rapid eye movements. In the present study, we directly addressed this proposal by determining which eye movement–based models best describe the discharge dynamics of primate abducens neurons during a variety of eye movement behaviors. We first characterized abducens neuron spike trains, as has been classically done, during fixation and sinusoidal smooth pursuit. We then systematically analyzed the discharge dynamics of abducens neurons during and following saccades, during step-ramp pursuit and during high velocity slow-phase vestibular nystagmus. We found that the commonly utilized first-order description of abducens neuron firing rates (FR = b + kE + rE˙, where FR is firing rate, E and E˙ are eye position and velocity, respectively, and b, k, and r are constants) provided an adequate model of neuronal activity during saccades, smooth pursuit, and slow phase vestibular nystagmus. However, the use of a second-order model, which included an exponentially decaying term or “slide” (FR = b + kE + rE˙ + uË − c[Formula: see text]), notably improved our ability to describe neuronal activity when the eye was moving and also enabled us to model abducens neuron discharges during the postsaccadic interval. We also found that, for a given model, a single set of parameters could not be used to describe neuronal firing rates during both slow and rapid eye movements. Specifically, the eye velocity and position coefficients ( r and k in the above models, respectively) consistently decreased as a function of the mean (and peak) eye velocity that was generated. In contrast, the bias ( b, firing rate when looking straight ahead) invariably increased with eye velocity. Although these trends are likely to reflect, in part, nonlinearities that are intrinsic to the extraocular muscles, we propose that these results can also be explained by considering the time-varying resistance to movement that is generated by the antagonist muscle. We conclude that to create realistic and meaningful models of the neural control of horizontal eye movements, it is essential to consider the activation of the antagonist, as well as agonist motoneuron pools.

Optokinetic Eye Movements Elicited by Radial Optic Flow in the Macaque Monkey

1998 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 1461-1480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Lappe ◽  
Martin Pekel ◽  
Klaus-Peter Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Optic Flow ◽  
Macaque Monkey ◽  
Flow Fields ◽  
Movement Direction ◽  
Slow Phase ◽  
Eye Position ◽  
Self Motion

Lappe, Markus, Martin Pekel, and Klaus-Peter Hoffmann. Optokinetic eye movements elicited by radial optic flow in the macaque monkey. J. Neurophysiol. 79: 1461–1480, 1998. We recorded spontaneous eye movements elicited by radial optic flow in three macaque monkeys using the scleral search coil technique. Computer-generated stimuli simulated forward or backward motion of the monkey with respect to a number of small illuminated dots arranged on a virtual ground plane. We wanted to see whether optokinetic eye movements are induced by radial optic flow stimuli that simulate self-movement, quantify their parameters, and consider their effects on the processing of optic flow. A regular pattern of interchanging fast and slow eye movements with a frequency of 2 Hz was observed. When we shifted the horizontal position of the focus of expansion (FOE) during simulated forward motion (expansional optic flow), median horizontal eye position also shifted in the same direction but only by a smaller amount; for simulated backward motion (contractional optic flow), median eye position shifted in the opposite direction. We relate this to a change in Schlagfeld typically observed in optokinetic nystagmus. Direction and speed of slow phase eye movements were compared with the local flow field motion in gaze direction (the foveal flow). Eye movement direction matched well the foveal motion. Small systematic deviations could be attributed to an integration of the global motion pattern. Eye speed on average did not match foveal stimulus speed, as the median gain was only ∼0.5–0.6. The gain was always lower for expanding than for contracting stimuli. We analyzed the time course of the eye movement immediately after each saccade. We found remarkable differences in the initial development of gain and directional following for expansion and contraction. For expansion, directional following and gain were initially poor and strongly influenced by the ongoing eye movement before the saccade. This was not the case for contraction. These differences also can be linked to properties of the optokinetic system. We conclude that optokinetic eye movements can be elicited by radial optic flow fields simulating self-motion. These eye movements are linked to the parafoveal flow field, i.e., the motion in the direction of gaze. In the retinal projection of the optic flow, such eye movements superimpose retinal slip. This results in complex retinal motion patterns, especially because the gain of the eye movement is small and variable. This observation has special relevance for mechanisms that determine self-motion from retinal flow fields. It is necessary to consider the influence of eye movements in optic flow analysis, but our results suggest that direction and speed of an eye movement should be treated differently.

scholarly journals Microsaccades in applied environments: Real-world applications of fixational eye movement measurements

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G Alexander ◽  
Stephen L Macknik ◽  
Susana Martinez-Conde
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Real World ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Sensory Deprivation ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Fixational Eye Movements ◽  
Real World Applications

Across a wide variety of research environments, the recording of microsaccades and other fixational eye movements has provided insight and solutions into practical problems. Here we review the literature on fixational eye movements—especially microsaccades—in applied and ecologically-valid scenarios. Recent technical advances allow noninvasive fixational eye movement recordings in real-world contexts, while observers perform a variety of tasks. Thus, fixational eye movement measures have been obtained in a host of real-world scenarios, such as in connection with driver fatigue, vestibular sensory deprivation in astronauts, and elite athletic training, among others. Here we present the state of the art in the practical applications of fixational eye movement research, examine its potential future uses, and discuss the benefits of including microsaccade measures in existing eye movement detection technologies. Current evidence supports the inclusion of fixational eye movement measures in real-world contexts, as part of the development of new or improved oculomotor assessment tools. The real-world applications of fixational eye movement measurements will only grow larger and wider as affordable high-speed and high-spatial resolution eye trackers become increasingly prevalent.

scholarly journals Reading Specific Small Saccades Predict Individual Phonemic Awareness and Reading Speed

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samy Rima ◽  
Michael C. Schmid
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Short Story ◽  
Phonemic Awareness ◽  
Developmental Dyslexia ◽  
Reading Skill ◽  
Fundamental Aspect ◽  
Fixational Eye Movements ◽  
Free Viewing ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Fixational Saccades

Small fixational eye-movements are a fundamental aspect of vision and thought to reflect fine shifts in covert attention during active viewing. While the perceptual benefits of these small eye movements have been demonstrated during a wide range of experimental tasks including during free viewing, their function during reading remains surprisingly unclear. Previous research demonstrated that readers with increased microsaccade rates displayed longer reading speeds. To what extent increased fixational eye movements are, however, specific to reading and might be indicative of reading skill deficits remains, however, unknown. To address this topic, we compared the eye movement scan paths of 13 neurotypical individuals and 13 subjects diagnosed with developmental dyslexia during short story reading and free viewing of natural scenes. We found that during reading only, dyslexics tended to display small eye movements more frequently compared to neurotypicals, though this effect was not significant at the population level, as it could also occur in slow readers not diagnosed as dyslexics. In line with previous research, neurotypical readers had twice as many regressive compared to progressive microsaccades, which did not occur during free viewing. In contrast, dyslexics showed similar amounts of regressive and progressive small fixational eye movements during both reading and free viewing. We also found that participants with smaller fixational saccades from both neurotypical and dyslexic samples displayed reduced reading speeds and lower scores during independent tests of reading skill. Slower readers also displayed greater variability in the landing points and temporal occurrence of their fixational saccades. Both the rate and spatio-temporal variability of fixational saccades were associated with lower phonemic awareness scores. As none of the observed differences between dyslexics and neurotypical readers occurred during control experiments with free viewing, the reported effects appear to be directly related to reading. In summary, our results highlight the predictive value of small saccades for reading skill, but not necessarily for developmental dyslexia.

Effects of Tilt Adaptation on the Direction of Voluntary Saccades

Perception ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 615-626
Author(s):  
Judith Callan ◽  
Sheldon M Ebenholtz
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Luminous Line ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Voluntary Saccades

Records were taken of the horizontal and vertical amplitudes of eye movements of subjects instructed to move their eyes back and forth from 12 to 6 and from 9 to 3 o'clock without targets. These records were used to compute the angles of the eye-movement paths, and corresponding paths were compared before and after exposure in a hallway to a prism-induced clockwise tilt of 30°. Perceived orientation was also measured, by having the subjects set a luminous line in the dark to the orientations indicated above. Both tasks yielded significant preexposure—postexposure changes in the direction of tilt, such that after exposure the line was set at a tilt and eye movements were made at an angle clockwise with respect to the preexposure orientation. A control group exposed to 0° tilt showed no change on either task. Thus, tilt adaptation is capable of altering the direction of volitional eye movements.

Abnormal fixational eye movements in strabismus

2017 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatema F Ghasia ◽  
Jorge Otero-Millan ◽  
Aasef G Shaikh
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Large Angle ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Eye Position ◽  
Visually Guided ◽  
Binocular Fusion ◽  
The Gaze ◽  
Fixational Eye Movements ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Fixational Saccades

IntroductionFixational saccades are miniature eye movements that constantly change the gaze during attempted visual fixation. Visually guided saccades and fixational saccades represent an oculomotor continuum and are produced by common neural machinery. Patients with strabismus have disconjugate binocular horizontal saccades. We examined the stability and variability of eye position during fixation in patients with strabismus and correlated the severity of fixational instability with strabismus angle and binocular vision.MethodsEye movements were measured in 13 patients with strabismus and 16 controls during fixation and visually guided saccades under monocular viewing conditions. Fixational saccades and intersaccadic drifts were analysed in the viewing and non-viewing eye of patients with strabismus and controls.ResultsWe found an increase in fixational instability in patients with strabismus compared with controls. We also found an increase in the disconjugacy of fixational saccades and intrasaccadic ocular drift in patients with strabismus compared with controls. The disconjugacy was worse in patients with large-angle strabismus and absent stereopsis. There was an increase in eye position variance during drifts in patients with strabismus. Our findings suggest that both fixational saccades and intersaccadic drifts are abnormal and likely contribute to the fixational instability in patients with strabismus.DiscussionFixational instability could be a useful tool for mass screenings of children to diagnose strabismus in the absence of amblyopia and latent nystagmus. The increased disconjugacy of fixational eye movements and visually guided saccades in patients with strabismus reflects the disruption of the fine-tuning of the motor and visual systems responsible for achieving binocular fusion in these patients.

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