Smooth pursuit eye movements contribute to long-latency reflex modulation in the lower extremity.

Somatosensory mediated reactions play a fundamental role in adapting to environmental changes, particularly through long-latency responses (LLRs)-rapid corrective muscle responses (50-100ms) following limb perturbations that account for limb biomechanics and task goals. We investigated how smooth pursuit eye movements (SPEM), which are slow eye movements used to track moving objects, influence LLRs of the upper and lower limb during mechanical interactions with moving objects. In the first experiment, participants stood and stabilized their arm against a colliding virtual object.