Focus and Attention
Neuronuggets #3
What is the role of microsaccades (small eye movements) in attention and neural activity?
Microsaccades and Attention:
Microsaccades are tiny, involuntary eye movements that occur even when we’re not consciously shifting our gaze.
Traditionally, they were considered irrelevant or involuntary, but recent research reveals their functional significance.
Desimone Lab Study:
Researchers at the Desimone lab found that microsaccades significantly modulate neural activity during attention.
When you glance at something—even sneakily—microsaccades are intimately linked to attention.
These small eye movements play a role in maintaining focus on objects, even during mental shifts.
In other words, our eyes are never truly at rest; microsaccades quietly contribute to our ability to pay attention and perceive a stable world.
Leveraging microsaccades can enhance your ability to focus. Here’s how:
Microsaccades during Reading:
When reading, microsaccades serve two critical functions:
Corrective Function: They adjust gaze within longer words if the preceding saccade lands too far toward the word’s end.
Exploratory Function: Microsaccades shift gaze to adjacent words, providing additional information before the next saccade.
Microsaccades and High-Acuity Tasks:
In precision tasks (like using a microscope), small saccades (as tiny as 20 minutes of arc) guide gaze precisely and explore a narrow range of space.
These subtle eye movements help with fine motor adjustments and maintaining focus.
Remember, paying attention to these subtle eye movements can enhance your overall focus and cognitive performance!
Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity