Do we foveate targets during smooth pursuit?

Presentation

Abstract

Saccades have been shown to land at the center of mass of the target (He & Kowler 1991). Here, we examined if eye position is similarly centered on a target during typical smooth pursuit. Pursuit is considered a foveating behavior, even though it is driven by velocity and not eye position (Rashbass 1961), and has been demonstrated in the periphery (Winterson and Steinman, 1978). We recruited 8 untrained participants (age: 25-35, 3 males). Targets were displayed in a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) and moved in a modified step-ramp paradigm, stepping 6° from the center and moving through a