Rapid alternating saccade training

Abstract

While individual eye movement characteristics are remarkably stable, experiments on saccadic spatial adaptation indicate that oculomotor learning is possible. To further investigate saccadic learning, participants received veridical feedback on saccade rate while making sequential saccades as quickly as possible between two horizontal targets. Over the course of five days, with just ten minutes of training per day, participants were able to significantly increase the rate of sequential saccades. This occurred through both a reduction in dwell duration and to changes in secondary saccade characteristics. There was no concomitant change in participant's accuracy or precision. The learning was retained following the training and generalized to saccades of different directions, and to reaction time measures during a delayed saccade task. The study provides evidence for a novel form of saccadic learning with applicability in a number of domains.