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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
Published on: March 18, 2019
Saccades in children
Michael S Salman1, James A Sharpe, Moshe Eizenman
1Division of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. msalman@hsc.mb.ca
Insights
Saccade (eye movement) latency in children decreases with age, indicating brain maturation. Saccadic accuracy and speed in children resemble adult levels, suggesting mature neural control.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Saccades are essential for clear vision, enabling rapid eye movements to visual targets.
- Understanding saccadic development in children is crucial for identifying potential visual or neurological impairments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related changes in saccadic eye movements in children.
- To compare saccadic parameters in children with established adult values.
Main Methods:
- Infrared eye tracking was used to record saccades in 39 children aged 8-19 years.
- Participants performed horizontal and vertical saccades to visual targets at varying amplitudes and unpredictable intervals.
Main Results:
- Saccadic latency showed a significant decrease with increasing age.
- Saccadic gain and peak velocity remained consistent across the studied age range.
- Children's saccadic gain and peak velocity were comparable to those reported in adult studies.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest that the neural circuits controlling saccade accuracy and speed mature early in development.
- Decreasing saccadic latency with age reflects ongoing maturation of the brain's oculomotor control systems.
Abstract:
Saccades are necessary for optimal vision. Little is known about saccades in children. We recorded saccades using an infrared eye tracker in 39 children, aged 8-19 years. Participants made saccades to visual targets that stepped 10 degrees or 15 degrees horizontally and 5 degrees or 10 degrees vertically at unpredictable time intervals. Saccadic latency decreased significantly with increasing age, while saccadic gain and peak velocity did not vary with age. Saccadic gains and peak velocities in children are similar to reported adult values. This implies maturity of the neural circuits responsible for making saccades accurate and fast. Saccade latency decreases as the brain matures.
