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Pursuit Eye Movement in Children

Pursuit eye movement refers to the ability to track and observe a moving object through eye motion alone, without movement of the head. This motion of the eye correlates to overall control of optical focusing, and is an important aspect of human survival. Little is known about the body's development of this ability during childhood. Understanding pursuit eye movement in children offers insights into other acquired skills, including oral and written communication.

  1. Development

    • A 2005 research study separately measured horizontal and vertical pursuit eye movement in children of all ages. Measurements were taken via an infrared eye tracker. The ability to track the eye vertically posed the greatest challenge in children. By the mid-teens, both horizontal and vertical eye movement met adult standards, demonstrating improvement with age. However the pace of this development varied, suggesting further need for research.

    Vertical Movement

    • The correlation between pursuit eye movement ability and age indicates a clear progression in the development of this process. However, in the 2005 study, this correlation was clearer in horizontal eye movement. Improvement in vertical pursuit eye movement was inconsistent with age, suggesting it is naturally less important. This broadens overall understanding of the role of vertical pursuit eye movement in everyday life for all age groups, including adults.

    Communication

    • The ability to parse spoken words into meaningful ideas is a key developmental process that leads to skills including reading and writing. A 2005 study documented pursuit eye movement as a prerequisite to these forms of communication. The study measured pursuit eye movement ability in pre-school children and then presented them with cognitive tests. Results indicated that success in pursuit eye movement correlates to a child's ability to meaningfully decipher sounds.

    Learning Disorders

    • Poor pursuit eye movement may lead to learning disorders, according to a 2004 study. The research measured pursuit eye movement in learning-disabled children. The results revealed weakness in frontal eye motion, consistent with deficiencies in the related frontal cortex of the brain. This offers new understanding of the key relationship between eye movement and the ability to learn.

    Surgical Influence

    • Evidence suggests that surgical intervention for neurological disorders may positively affect pursuit eye movement. A common procedure for treating cerebral palsy also interacts with neurological mechanisms to improve pursuit eye movement. Additional research is necessary, as few subjects have been tested.

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