Eye Movements and Schizophrenia: A Review on Smooth Pursuit, Saccadic Movements, and Exploratory Eye Movements

Authors : Emine Nur Çorum

Pages : 589-597

Doi:10.18863/pgy.1535133

View : 197 | Download : 117

Publication Date : 2025-09-30

Article Type : Review Paper

Abstract :This review article examines the effects of eye movements on smooth pursuit, saccadic movements, and exploratory eye movements in schizophrenia. Eye movements play a critical role in regulating interaction with the visual environment, and schizophrenia significantly alters these processes. Smooth pursuit eye movements enable accurate tracking of an object on the fovea. In individuals with schizophrenia, the eyes often lag behind the target during smooth pursuit, requiring corrective saccadic movements, which indicate difficulties in adapting to the target\\\'s speed. Saccadic eye movements refer to rapid, abrupt movements of the eyes. In schizophrenia, impairments are observed in antisaccade and prosaccade tasks. The antisaccade task requires individuals to look in the opposite direction of a distracting stimulus, and high error rates suggest deficits in attention and control mechanisms. In the prosaccade task, individuals are instructed to look toward the distracting stimulus, and people with schizophrenia perform worse compared to healthy individuals. Exploratory eye movements reflect the ability to scan and analyze environmental information. In schizophrenia, these movements are often characterized by shorter scanning paths and fewer fixations, indicating difficulties in processing environmental information. Eye movement abnormalities in schizophrenia show significant differences compared to other disorders and hold potential as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment. Future research should explore the impact of genetic and neurobiological factors on eye movements and integrate these findings with therapeutic approaches.
Keywords : şizofreni, göz takibi, sakkadik hareketler, hassas takip, keşfedici göz hareketleri

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