Yes, a blind eye can still move. Even in complete blindness, the muscles controlling eye movement remain functional.
Understanding Eye Movement in Blindness
Several factors influence eye movement in individuals with blindness:
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Involuntary Movements: Conditions like nystagmus, an involuntary eye movement, can cause the eyes to shake or move uncontrollably, regardless of sight. As noted in the YouTube video "[Why Blind People's Eyes May Shake #Nystagmus](
)", nystagmus is a common cause of eye movement in individuals with blindness. The Quora thread, "Why do some blind people move their eyes all the time?" points to nystagmus as a reason for continuous eye movement in the blind. Reddit discussions, like "why do blind peoples eyes move even if they cant see anything" and "Can blind people move their eyes?", confirm that most blind people can move their eyes, although control might be impaired in some cases. -
Voluntary Control: While vision guides much of our eye movement, the brain can still direct the muscles to move the eyes even without visual input. This is demonstrated by the ability of blind individuals to follow sounds or track moving objects using other senses.
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Muscle Function: The six muscles controlling eye movement remain functional regardless of sight. A TikTok video discussing eye movement highlights the independent function of these muscles. This is further emphasized by studies like "Eye movements of the blind" which investigated eye movement in individuals with blindness.
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Loss of Visual Feedback: The lack of visual feedback in blindness can lead to problems with eye coordination and alignment, as mentioned in the American Academy of Ophthalmology article.
In summary: The eyes of a blind person are capable of movement, although the nature and control of this movement can vary depending on the underlying cause of blindness and the presence of conditions like nystagmus. The eyes are still controlled by muscles and the brain, and thus are still capable of moving, both voluntarily and involuntarily.
