An Update on Mathematical Models of the Saccadic Mechanism

Saccades are the rapid eye movements that we continuously make to shift gaze from one object of interest to another. These voluntary eye movements not only are exemplary to describe various forms of ocular motor and cognitive function but also have a fundamental role as a prototype for understanding general principles in motor neurosciences. Their production requires most of the information processing steps that are needed in all motor control tasks, yet their understanding is far more detailed than that related to other fields in motor control. Indeed, a great deal has been learned about the anatomy and neurophysiology of saccades thanks to a fruitful collaboration between clinical studies, basic science research, and mathematical modeling. In this non-exhaustive review, I will discuss contemporary computational concepts that describe the current understanding of the physiology of saccades in health and disease.