Oculomotor control in children with sensory processing difficulties

Background: Atypically developing children often present with a variety of sensory processing difficulties (SPD) which have been proposed to reflect abnormal development of pathways integrating sensation and action. A brain system in which the process of sensorimotor integration is particularly well understood is the oculomotor system, but no studies to date have used computerised eye tracking to assess eye movements in children with SPD.

Method: 10 children with SPD completed a battery of oculomotor tasks comprising Pro saccades, Anti saccades, Smooth Pursuit tracking and Sustained fixation. Eye movements were recorded using a high resolution eye tracker.

Results Compared to age-matched controls, SPD children were found to make more directional errors in the anti saccade task and less accurate smooth pursuit and sustained fixation.

Conclusion Consistent differences were found in oculomotor ability in children with SPD which are likely to impact children’s ability to process and respond to visual information within home and school contexts. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between oculomotor deficits in children with SPD and the presence / absence of neurodevelopmental diagnoses. Eye tracking may be of value in the future for assessment and objective evaluation of interventions for SPD such as sensory integration therapy.