Saccades without eye movements (original) (raw)
- Scientific Correspondence
- Published: 13 November 1997
Nature volume 390, pages 130–131 (1997) Cite this article
- 1762 Accesses
- 100 Citations
- 5 Altmetric
- Metrics details
Abstract
When reading text, human subjects use a pattern of eye movements consisting of fast saccadic movements and fixations1. We have found a subject who cannot make eye movements. Her visual perception is surprisingly normal and she is able to read at high speeds. She uses movements of the head to compensate for the absence of eye movements. Her head movements during reading have a saccadic character and show many of the features that characterize eye movements.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to the full article PDF.
USD 39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Additional access options:
Figure 1: Recordings of head and eye movements.

The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.
References
- Rayner, K. & Pollatsek, A. in Attention and Performance XII(ed. Coltheart, M.) 327-362 (Erlbaum, London, 1987).
- Carpenter, R. H. S. Movements of the eyes(Pion, London, 1980).
- Crane, J. D. & Steele, C. M. Applied Optics 24, 527–537 (1985).
Google Scholar - Yarbus, A. L. Eye Movements and Vision(Plenum, New York, 1967).
- Land, M. F. in Eye Movement Research (eds Findlay, J. M., Walker, R. & Kentridge, R. W.) 63-76 (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1995).
- Freedman, E. G., Stanford, T. R. & Sparks, D. L. J. Neurophysiol. 76, 927–952 (1996).
Google Scholar - Deubel, H. & Bridgeman, B. Vision Res. 35, 529–538 (1995).
Google Scholar
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Vision and Visual Cognition, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
Iain D. Gilchrist, Valerie Brown & John M. Findlay
Authors
- Iain D. Gilchrist
- Valerie Brown
- John M. Findlay
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gilchrist, I., Brown, V. & Findlay, J. Saccades without eye movements.Nature 390, 130–131 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/36478
- Issue date: 13 November 1997
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/36478