Eye movement differs in British and Chinese populations
13 Apr 2011
Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that eye movement patterns of Chinese people, born and raised in China, are different to those of Caucasian people living in Britain.
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| The team tested fast eye movements using a saccadometer - a device worn on the head that uses infra-red reflection |
The team, working with Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, investigated eye movements in Chinese and British people to further understanding of the brain mechanisms that control them and how they compare between different human populations.
They found that a type of eye movement, that is rare in the British, is much more common in Chinese people, suggesting that there could be subtle differences in brain function between different populations.
Tests of eye movements can be used to help identify signs of brain injury or disease, such as schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis, in populations across the world.
Research at Liverpool, however, has shown that within the Chinese population there are a high proportion of healthy people that exhibit a pattern of eye movements previously thought to be rare in the absence of injury or disease.
Findings, published in the journal Experimental Brain Research, suggest that this pattern may not be as effective as a signal of altered brain function, in every global community, as originally thought.
