Normative Values for Prosaccade and Antisaccade Eye Movements in Adolescents Using a New Saccadometry Test

Saccadic eye movements (SEMs) are rapid, precise movements that reorient the visual fovea toward an object of interest. In clinical practice, assessing SEMs can help in differentiating and monitoring various neurologic, otoneurologic, and psychiatric conditions. Deviations from adequate saccadic patterns offer critical diagnostic information, enabling clinicians to more accurately identify related conditions such as schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Alzheimer's disease, and cognitive impairment in vestibular migraine, among others.

Establish normative data for prosaccades (PSs) and antisaccades (ASs) in healthy adolescents aged 12-17 years.

A cross-sectional, single-center study conducted between June and December 2023.

Data were reported on 138 healthy participants aged 12 to 17 years with no history of head trauma, neurologic, vestibular, behavioral, or psychiatric disorders, and use of medications affecting SEMs.

This study included 138 participants (mean age, 14.5 years; 44.2 percent female). A mean accuracy, latency, velocity, and directional error (DE) of 91.5 percent, 211 milliseconds (ms), 249.5 degrees per second (°/s), and 0.8 percent in PSs and 117.0 percent, 304.7 ms, 249.8°/s, and 11.8 percent for ASs were obtained, respectively. Significant reductions were found in horizontal random saccade velocity (p = 0.027), PS velocity (p = 0.001), AS latency (p < 0.001), and DE (p < 0.001) from younger to older adolescents. With age maturation, ASs' latency and DE showed a significant reduction. Compared with females, male participants have lower AS latencies (p < 0.041). Younger males (<15 years) have higher PS velocities (p = 0.02). Young females and males have higher latencies (p = 0.031 and p < 0.01, respectively) and DE (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively) than the older participants (≥15 years) in ASs.

This study established normative data for PSs and ASs for individuals aged 12-17 years using commercially available equipment. The findings indicate age-related variations, particularly in AS latency and DE.

The normative values obtained in this study could assist clinicians in the detection of cognitive control impairment or oculomotor dysfunction, and support complementary diagnostic tools in differentiating neurologic, vestibular, behavioral, or psychiatric disorders affecting adolescents.