A study recently revealed that glaucoma patients’ eye movements were significantly slower and less accurate than those of healthy patients. The researchers conducted a prospective study of saccadic eye movements that included 31 eyes with glaucoma and 23 controls to understand whether incorporating eye movement parameters might help to improve glaucoma detection.

Using standard automated perimetry (SAP) and eye-tracking perimetry, the researchers collected data on threshold sensitivity, saccade latency and two measures of accuracy.

They found that patients with glaucoma had significantly slower saccades and reduced saccade accuracy compared with controls. The slower the saccades, the worse the SAP sensitivity.

The researchers noted that, though there was a relationship between slower and less accurate eye movement and worsening glaucoma, “in a multivariate model, eye movement parameters were not of additional benefit in differentiating eyes with glaucoma from healthy controls.”