Conjugate eye movements and oculomotor organisation

Conjugate eye movements: coordinating both eyes

Conjugate eye movement is the ability of both eyes to move together, in a coordinated way, in the same direction.

It is an important part of visual function, particularly in reading.

This coordination allows:

• organised visual exploration;
• stable fixation on a target;
• efficient switching between fixation points;
• smoother, more continuous processing of visual information.

Eye movements and learning to read

Reading requires a succession of precise eye movements, called saccades, alternating with fixation pauses.

These movements allow the gaze to move along the lines and gather the information needed to recognise words.

Regressions (backward eye movements) are normal in reading when they serve to go back over information and check its meaning. However, when they become excessive or inappropriate, they can slow reading down and disrupt it.

When this pattern is disrupted, we may observe:

• choppy or hesitant reading;
• excessive backtracking;
• difficulty keeping one's place in the text;
• increased visual fatigue.

Eye movements and visuospatial structuring

Coordinated eye movements also help build spatial reference points.

Good oculomotor organisation therefore makes it easier to process the visual information needed for learning.

It is involved in:

• organising space;
• sense of direction;
• perceiving how objects relate to one another;
• visual tracking and exploring one's surroundings;
• coordination between vision and movement.

The Marchal Method approach

The Marchal Method places particular emphasis on working on conjugate eye movements.

The aim is to encourage better coordination of eye movements, stable fixations and more fluent reading.

The strength of this method lies in its global approach to conjugate eye movements, integrating neurological functions with the functional aspects of posture and breathing. This cross-disciplinary approach supports care that is both effective and rapid.

The work focuses in particular on:

• coordination of both eyes;
• quality of fixations;
• accuracy of saccades;
• organisation of forward and backward movements;
• continuity of visual exploration.