Eye Movement

Eye movement encompasses both voluntary and involuntary movements of the eyes.

There are four basic types of eye movement: 

• Saccades
• Smooth pursuit movements
• Vergence movements 
• Vestibulo-ocular movements

Saccades are rapid, jerky movements of the eyes that shift focus from one point to another, such as when reading or during the rapid eye movement stage of sleep. These movements can be performed voluntarily but mostly occur automatically to adjust for areas without vision receptors.

Smooth pursuit movement is the ability of the eyes to track a target that typically moves along smoothly. During these movements, the nervous system tries to maintain the velocity of the eye at the same level as the velocity of the target.

Vergence movements are slow, simultaneous movements of both eyes in opposite directions (toward or away from each other) to maintain focus on objects at different distances, helping with depth perception.

Vestibulo-ocular movements are automatic adjustments of the eyes that stabilize vision during head movements. Controlled by the inner ear, they help maintain clear vision and support coordination during activities that involve movement.

Sources:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

www.imotions.com

www.sciencedirect.com

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