Eye Blink Frequency Research Articles

Spontaneous eyeblinks elicited by vertical eye movements.

Two experiments were carried out to examine the relationship between eyeblinks and eye movements under a visual search task. Exp. I showed that the vertical eye movements brought about slightly more eyeblinks than the horizontal ones. In Exp. II, the vertical eye movements were accompanied with significantly more frequent eyeblinks than the horizontal ones. Upward saccadic eye movements especially were associated with the more frequent eyeblinks than the downward ones. These results suggested a possible relationship between the eyeblinks and Bell's phenomenon. However, the comparison of eyeblink rates between eye-movement and the no-eye-movement conditions in Exp. II indicated that in the latter condition eyeblinks were significantly more frequent than in the former condition. Some psychological factors were suggested as likely important determinants of the frequency of eyeblinks.

Physiological response to color: A critical review

AbstractPhysiological human responses to color as evidenced by the electroencephalogram, galvanic skin response, blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, eyeblink frequency, and oxiometry are reviewed. A casual reading of the descriptive literature on the human response to color leads one to the conclusion that color can have rather specific physiological effects. It is concluded from this review that there are reliably recordable physiological responses to color in addition to those generally associated with vision. However, it may be that some are indirect effects mediated by cognitive responses to color.

Self-regulated facial muscle tension effects on intraocular pressure.

ABSTRACTThis study was designed to examine the relationship between orbicularis muscle tension around the eyes and fluctuations in intraocular pressure (IOP) in normal subjects. Using a biofeedback paradigm, 20 male and female subjects were asked to increase and decrease their EMG activity from the orbicularis muscle while receiving EMG feedback. Subjects received 3 alternating blocks of trials in which they attempted to increase and decrease muscle tension while maintaining the eyes open. A fourth trial consisted of a forceful closure of the eyes during the increase period. IOP was measured every 60 s throughout the entire sequence, and electrodes placed above and below the eye recorded eyeblinks. Results suggest that IOP increases with increases in facial muscle tension in normal subjects, a finding which cannot be accounted for by changes in eyeblink frequency. These results imply that increases in IOP occur during periods of increased muscle tension around the eye and suggest that muscle tension levels should be examined among individuals who have abnormally high IOP levels.

Effects of Differences in Eyeblink Frequency during Television Viewing and Reading on Delta EEG

Effects of Differences in Eyeblink Frequency during Television Viewing and Reading on Delta EEG

Contingent negative variation and the distraction—arousal hypothesis

Thirty-two normal volunteers were tested in three conditions: (1) a constant-foreperiod reaction-time situation consisting of a flash— tone-key-press sequence (control condition); (2) the addition of a short-term memory task consisting of four letters presented within the flash-tone interval with the requirement that they be repeated after key-press to tone (letters-recall); and (3) the presentation of letters without short-term memory (letters-no recall). The task involving short-term memory of letters produced a significant reduction in amplitude of CNV for central (Cz) and parietal (Pz) recording sites. The association of CNV decrease and lengthened reaction time to tone was interpreted as a CNV distraction effect. The accompaniment of this distraction effect by elevated heart rate levels and increased frequency of eyeblinks was considered a distraction—arousal association and an important source of disruption in CNV developmment. These results were interpreted as support for the distraction—arousal hypothesis and appear to provide a sensitive complex of four measures for the evaluation of psychological processes, including the assessment of psychotropic drug effects. Eyeblink frequency in particular appears to be a sensitive indicator of distraction—arousal processes and a potentially useful measure of disturbed psychological functioning. The finding in control conditions of lower CNV amplitude in frontal than in central and posterior recording sites was viewed as a distraction effect due to efforts at eye movement control. The possibility was raised that frontal areas of the brain mediate sustained (tonic) distraction effects whereas centro-parietal regions mediate phasic distraction effects, at least when produced by stimuli of a lexical nature.

Blink rate and muscle tension.

The present paper will deal with eye blink frequency and its relationship to scores on “personality” questionnaires and to frontalis and right forearm muscle tension measured electromyographically. This analysis forms part of a larger experiment with the main aim of investigating levels of muscle tension in four groups—(i) introverted neurotics, (ii) extraverted neurotics, (iii) extraverted normals and (iv) introverted normals—during relaxation and while responding to a series of questions about neurotic symptoms.