A developmental study of smooth pursuit eye movements in normal children from 7 to 15 years of age.
OBJECTIVE
To examine age-related changes in smooth pursuit tracking.


METHODS
Using infrared occulography, smooth pursuit eye movements are examined in 53 normal 7- to 15-year-old children during 6 degrees and 12 degrees/second visual pursuit. In addition to smooth pursuit gain and saccadic frequency, measures of mean amplitude per second are introduced to facilitate comparison across age and target speed.


RESULTS
The 6 degrees/second task is found to be easier than the 12 degrees/second task. Age is correlated with smooth pursuit system performance but not saccadic system performance during 12 degrees/second pursuit. No measure correlates with age during 6 degrees/second pursuit.


CONCLUSIONS
Eye movements improve as children age. The future use of smooth pursuit eye movements to study children and adolescents with and at risk for schizophrenia must control for developmental changes.
Ross
R G
RG
Department of Psychiatry, University of Washington, Seattle.
Radant
A D
AD
Hommer
D W
DW
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011698:Pursuit, Smooth; D012016:Reference Values; D012438:Saccades