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Saccadic Adaptation in Children

Divisions of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Divisions of Neurology, Vision Science Research Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Section of Pediatric Neurology, Children's Hospital, AE 108, Harry Medovy House, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB R3A 1R9, Canada. Tel: 204-787-2414; fax: 204-787-1922; msalman{at}hsc.mb.ca

James A. Sharpe, MRCP

Divisions of Neurology, Vision Science Research Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Moshe Eizenman, PhD

University Health Network, and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Linda Lillakas, BA

Vision Science Research Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Teresa To, PhD

Population Health Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

Carol Westall, PhD

Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

Maureen Dennis, PhD

Psychology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

Martin J. Steinbach, PhD

Vision Science Research Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Saccades are fast-orienting eye movements. Saccadic adaptation, a form of motor learning, is a corrective change in the amplitude of saccades in response to error. The aim of the study was to ascertain whether saccadic adaptation occurs in typically developing children. We recorded saccades with an infrared eye tracker in 39 children, aged 8 to 19 years, at baseline to 12-degree horizontal target steps and after an adaptive task. During the adaptive task, a saccadic hypometric error was induced. This task consisted of 200 12-degree target steps that stepped backward 3 degrees during the initial saccade and without the participants' awareness. The initial saccade triggered the back-step. This paradigm required a corrective reduction of the amplitude of the initial saccades in response to the induced error. Saccadic adaptation was achieved in 26 participants, whose mean saccadic amplitudes decreased by 13% (P < .05). Saccadic adaptation was not influenced by age. We conclude that children as young as 8 years old have established functions of the neural circuits responsible for the motor learning required for saccadic adaptation.

Journal of Child Neurology, Vol. 21, No. 12, 1025-1031 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/7010.2006.00238


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