We only see about one to two percent of our environment really sharp, which is the image section that falls into the visual pit (lat.: Fovea Centralis) of the retina. In order to perform tricky actions, such as threading a needle, we have to make very accurate tiny eye movements. This is the only way can we see the whole process in high resolution – and avoid piercing our finger. But how does our brain control these movements? Neuroscientists led by Professor Ziad M. Hafed at the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and the University of Tübingen have investigated this question. According to her results, the so-called Superior Colliculum in the brain stem plays a leading role, the researchers report in the current issue of the journal Current Biology. The findings help to better understand the visual system and its disorders.

Read the complete press release (in German only)

Copyright: Akshay Markanday, 2017