Abstract
Purpose::
To compare fixation behaviour at school age in children with hydrocephalus (HC) and age- and sex- matched group of healthy controls.
Methods::
As a part of a multidisciplinary study an infrared eye-tracking device (Orbit) was used to analyse binocular fixation behaviour in 35 children with hydrocephalus and 117 healthy controls.
Results::
Relative to the controls, children with HC had significant shorter fixation time (p=0.005) and did significant more drifts (p<0.01). The controls, but not the HC children, showed an increase in fixation time (p=0.02) and decrease in number of intruding saccades (p<0.01) with increasing age. However, children with HC showed an increase in number of drifts (p=0.002) and blinks (p=0.03) with increasing age, while the controls showed no such age correlation. A lower blink frequency ((p=0.02) was seen among children born with HC, while children developing HC during first year of life had an increase in number of drifts and blinks with increasing age.
Conclusions::
Children with hydrocephalus had significant shorter fixation time and did more drifts compared to age- and sex-matched controls. With increasing age all investigated variables (fixation time, drifts, blinks and saccades) differed between the two groups.
Keywords: eye movements • eye movements: recording techniques • visual development: infancy and childhood