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Saccadic adaptation in visually normal individuals using saccadic endpoint variability from amblyopia
Rana Arham Raashid1, Agnes M F Wong1, Alan Blakeman2
1Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
|January 17, 2015
Summary
Saccadic adaptation is reduced in visually normal individuals when spatial noise is introduced, mimicking the variability seen in anisometropic amblyopia. This suggests spatial imprecision impacts saccadic adaptation performance.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Vision Science
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Saccadic adaptation, a form of motor learning, is sensitive to the spatial accuracy of the error signal.
- Anisometropic amblyopia is associated with reduced saccadic adaptation, potentially due to imprecise saccades.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify saccadic endpoint variability in anisometropic amblyopia versus visually normal individuals.
- To investigate if introducing variability mimicking amblyopia reduces saccadic adaptation in healthy individuals.
Main Methods:
- Visually normal adults performed a double-step saccadic adaptation task with consistent or variable error back-steps.
- Variable error magnitude was based on measured saccadic endpoint variability differences between amblyopic and normal individuals.
Main Results:
- Saccadic adaptation magnitude (percentage change in saccadic gains) was significantly reduced under the variable error condition compared to the consistent error condition.
- Adaptation magnitude in the variable error condition approximated previously observed adaptation levels in anisometropic amblyopia.
Conclusions:
- Exogenous spatial noise, consistent with saccadic endpoint variability differences between amblyopic and normal groups, can sufficiently impair saccadic adaptation in healthy individuals.
- This supports the hypothesis that spatial imprecision contributes to reduced saccadic adaptation in anisometropic amblyopia.
