MONTENARE EYE CARE
& VISION THERAPY
What is a Saccade?
A saccade is a type of eye movement in which the eyes make a sudden "jump" from one target to another.
Function
Saccades are used to scan an object (or multiple objects around a room) looking at the details of a face or object, and reading fluency.
Deficit of Saccades
A deficit of saccades is when the eyes do not move from target to target with accuracy and/or speed. For example, the eyes can grossly overshoot or undershoot a target or they may have difficulty initiating the movement (an increased latency).
Deficit of saccades may be functional in nature, in which the child fails to develop age-appropriate oculomotor skills. It may also be due to an acquired brain injury such as from a concussion. In both cases, vision therapy is the treatment of choice. In some cases, however, a deficit of saccades may be due to an organic cause, such as from a nerve palsy, myasthenia gravis, or cerebellar disease and would require the consult of an ophthalmologist or neurologist.
Signs and Symptoms
These symptoms are generally related to the use of the eyes for reading and are functional in nature:
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Frequent loss of place
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Excessive head movement
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Omission of words
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Skipping lines
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Slow reading speed
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Poor comprehension
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Short attention span
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Difficulty copying from the board
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Difficulty solving arithmetic problems with columns of numbers
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Difficulty taking standardized psychological or educational tests with computer scan sheets
Treatment
Vision therapy is the treatment of choice for deficit of saccades that is functional in nature or due to an acquired brain injury. A vision therapy program should focus on enhancing oculomotor accuracy and speed, as well as the ability to integrate with vergence ("eye teaming") and accommodative ("eye focusing") skills.