Gaze behaviour during interception in children with Spastic Unilateral Cerebral Palsy

Anticipatory gaze behaviour during interceptive movements was investigated in children with Spastic Unilateral Cerebral Palsy (SUCP), and related to the side of the intracerebral lesion. Five children with lesions of the right hemisphere (RHL) and five children with lesions of the left hemisphere (LHL) had to walk towards and intercept a ball that moved perpendicular to the walking path. Interception accuracy and gaze patterns were measured in a no-occlusion and occlusion condition, in which the ball was occluded from view for half of its trajectory. There was a clear support for a relationship between gaze behaviour and success in interception performance, with some evidence for the presence of anticipatory gaze behaviour. There were also differences in gaze behaviour between children with RHL and children with LHL that might be related to planning, but these did not affect interception accuracy. It is concluded that gaze behaviour during interceptive movements is anticipatory, and at least partly dependent on the lesional side.

► We examined anticipatory gaze behaviour in children with Spastic Unilateral Cerebral Palsy.
► A relationship existed between gaze behaviour and success in interception performance.
► Children with RHL and LHL showed differences in gaze which might be related to planning.
► Evidence showed that gaze behaviour during interceptive movements is anticipatory.