Summary
Eye movement recordings were made in three humans using the magnetic search coil system. The subjects were looking at targets that were mostly located in front of and close to one eye, thereby creating a disparity with a larger target in the close eye. We found that the eyes make rapid vertical eye alignment changes to the naturally occurring disparity. These alignment changes were very fast (up to a peak velocity of 30deg/sec) and 81% of the required change was completed within the saccadic pulse for downward saccades, whereas the corresponding figure for upward saccades was 47%. These alignment changes were independent of disparity cues since a corresponding disparity in the midline was introduced with the aid of a prism and no similar changes in vertical alignment were seen. The alignment change was also possible to alter by adapting the subjects by making them wear a prism in front of one eye for some time.
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Ygge, J. (2000). Vertical vergence — normal function and plasticity. In: Franzén, O., Richter, H., Stark, L. (eds) Accommodation and Vergence Mechanisms in the Visual System. Birkhäuser, Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7586-8_23
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7586-8_23
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