Dictionary of Biological Psychology
Conjugate ocular movements which serve to maintain stability of GAZE. PURSUIT EYE MOVEMENTS and SACCADES are the most extensively studied by psychologists.
Pursuit eye movements are driven by slow- to medium-velocity visual targets and can be controlled by the (motion-sensitive) EXTRASTRIATE CORTEX. LESIONS to these regions may temporarily or permanently disrupt smooth pursuit while leaving saccades unaffected. Saccadic eye movements are extremely rapid and are associated with perceptual suppression during the high velocity portion of the movement. Posterior PARIETAL CORTEX and the FRONTAL EYE FIELDS are part of two parallel, semi-independent channels which play a role in voluntary saccades.
See also: eye position; smooth eye movements; smooth following movements; vergence
DAVID P.CAREY
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