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Updated: Jan 8, 2026
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Development of a Gaze-Contingent Display Framework Designed for Perceptual and Oculomotor Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss
Published on: April 11, 2025
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Distortion of perceived visual space after prolonged horizontal eccentric gaze holding
Terence L Tyson1, Dennis F Perez2, Jorge Otero-Millan3
1Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Human Systems Integration Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA.
Vision Research
|December 11, 2025
Summary
Prolonged eccentric gaze holding alters spatial perception. The brain adapts eye movements differently when holding gaze left versus right, impacting how we perceive visual space and distances.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
- Perception
Background:
- Eye movements are crucial indicators of brain function and pathology.
- Rebound nystagmus reveals adaptive mechanisms in gaze holding.
- The influence of eccentric gaze holding on visual spatial perception remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how prolonged eccentric gaze holding affects spatial bias.
- To determine if visual spatial perception is influenced by the direction of prior gaze holding.
Main Methods:
- A modified landmark task was employed to assess spatial bias.
- Participants engaged in prolonged eccentric gaze holding to the left (-40°) and right (+40°).
- Spatial perception was evaluated before and after eccentric gaze holding conditions.
Main Results:
- Perceived spatial bias significantly differed between left and right eccentric gaze holding.
- Sensitivity in judging relative distances showed marginal differences based on gaze holding direction.
- These findings indicate a history-dependent effect of eye position on visual spatial perception.
Conclusions:
- Prolonged eccentric gaze holding differentially impacts spatial perception based on direction.
- The oculomotor system's adaptation to gaze history influences the perceived visual environment.
- Visual spatial perception is not absolute but dynamically shaped by recent eye movements.
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