Characteristics of saccadic eye movements in attentionally handicapped patients

Some characteristics of saccadic eye movements were investigated electrooculographically in hemiplegic attentionally handicapped patients and normal subjects under stationary and moving target situations. The velocity of saccadic eye movements was greater and the duration shorter in hemiplegic than in normal subjects. Greater variability of angular velocity and amplitude functions, and of duration and amplitude functions was found among hemiplegic subjects than among normal. The results were explained, in part, by possible differences in the strength of extraocular muscle contraction, variables associated with inhibitory control and learning variables.