{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"institution":[{"name":"bioRxiv"}],"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T14:28:57Z","timestamp":1785421737493,"version":"3.56.0"},"posted":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]]},"group-title":"Neuroscience","reference-count":54,"publisher":"openRxiv","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]],"date-time":"2026-07-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782950400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001659","name":"Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["222641018"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["222641018"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001659","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001659","name":"Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["533717223"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["533717223"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001659","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["EY05729"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["EY05729"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/001d55x84","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Blinks are a ubiquitous yet largely unnoticed aspect of human vision, despite causing frequent interruptions of visual input that can amount to up to 10% of waking time. By leveraging a large dataset of unconstrained gaze behavior during two natural tasks, we found a novel behavioral strategy to limit the impact of blinks: blinks were strategically coupled with head movements, which minimizes information loss due to unreliable visual input during head movements. Specifically, blink probability increased with higher head velocities and showed strong temporal modulation relative to head movement onset: Blink probability was reduced before head movement initiation and then peaked during the head movement. The strength of this coupling was tailored to the individual needs of participants, with participants with higher baseline blink showing a stronger synchronization. This indicates that blinks are a part of an individually coordinated strategy when orchestrating eye and head movements during unconstrained natural behavior.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.64898\/2026.06.29.731833","type":"posted-content","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,3]],"date-time":"2026-07-03T08:09:23Z","timestamp":1783066163000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Blinks are strategically coupled with head movements in unconstrained natural gaze behavior"],"prefix":"10.64898","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7435-7473","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alexander","family":"Goettker","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany"},{"name":"Centre for Mind, Brain and Behaviour, Universities of Marburg, Giessen and Darmstadt, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6671-5207","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mary","family":"Hayhoe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Texas, Austin, United States"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"54368","reference":[{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0141242"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/mds.870120629"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/162531a0"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0042-6989(86)90164-1"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.7355270"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Willett, S. M. , Maenner, S. K. & Mayo, J. P. The perceptual consequences and neurophysiology of eye blinks. Front. Syst. Neurosci. 17, (2023).","DOI":"10.3389\/fnsys.2023.1242654"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0042-6989(81)90012-2"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0042-6989(93)90170-2"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nn1488"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-vision-091517-034317","article-title":"Vision during saccadic eye movements","volume":"4","year":"2018","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Vis. Sci"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/ICO.0b013e31823f8d8c"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1016\/S1542-0124(12)70271-9","article-title":"A New Look at Lubrication of the Ocular Surface: Fluid Mechanics Behind the Blinking Eyelids","volume":"6","year":"2008","journal-title":"Ocul. Surf"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1752","DOI":"10.1167\/iovs.03-0839","article-title":"Temporal Changes in Optical Quality of Air\u2013Tear Film Interface at Anterior Cornea after Blink","volume":"45","year":"2004","journal-title":"Investigative Opthalmology & Visual Science"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1167\/jov.20.2.2"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Yang, B. , Intoy, J. & Rucci, M. Eye blinks as a visual processing stage. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 121, (2024).","DOI":"10.1101\/2023.06.18.545489"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0002-9394(80)90058-6"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-8986.1985.tb01658.x"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1714220115"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1101\/2024.12.17.628893"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Khazali, M. F. , Pomper, J. K. , Smilgin, A. , Bunjes, F. & Thier, P. A new motor synergy that serves the needs of oculomotor and eye lid systems while keeping the downtime of vision minimal. Elife 5, (2016).","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.16290"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1152\/jn.00517.2018"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.22","first-page":"121","article-title":"Investigation of the blinking contingent upon saccadic eye movement","volume":"39","year":"1980","journal-title":"Tohoku Psychologica Folia"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00424617"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Evinger, C. et al. Not looking while leaping: the linkage of blinking and saccadic gaze shifts. Exp. Brain Res. 100, (1994).","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00227203"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1214804110"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF02691032"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bjo.29.9.445"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1167\/jov.25.6.12"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s002210100745"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.ne.04.030181.001421"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.ne.05.030182.001423"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0042-6989(82)90196-1"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1364\/JOSA.65.000847"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-020-17160-1"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-020-17158-9"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2018.09.026"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.1167\/jov.26.3.4","article-title":"Microsaccadic modulation in goal-directed reaching","volume":"26","year":"2026","journal-title":"J. Vis"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Goettker, A. , Brenner, E. , Gegenfurtner, K. R. & de la Malla, C. Corrective saccades influence velocity judgments and interception. Sci. Rep. 9, (2019).","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-019-41857-z"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tics.2018.07.009"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112","DOI":"10.1038\/s44159-021-00015-x","article-title":"Coupling perception to action through incidental sensory consequences of motor behaviour","volume":"1","year":"2022","journal-title":"Nature Reviews Psychology"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0042-6989(78)90219-5"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nrn1869"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ehinger, B. V , H\u00e4usser, K. , Ossand\u00f3n, J. P. & K\u00f6nig, P. Humans treat unreliable filled-in percepts as more real than veridical ones. Elife 6, (2017).","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.21761"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2019.02.023"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"625","DOI":"10.1038\/s44159-025-00481-7","article-title":"A review of the costs of eye movements","volume":"4","year":"2025","journal-title":"Nature Reviews Psychology"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0014-4886(82)90169-8"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pcbi.1002253"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0956797612471684"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Broda, M. D. & de Haas, B. Individual differences in human gaze behavior generalize from faces to objects. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 121, (2024).","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2322149121"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1820553116"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/ncomms12110"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/rev0000477"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Muller, K. S. et al. Analysis of foothold selection during locomotion using terrain reconstruction. Elife 12, (2024).","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.91243"},{"key":"2026070600551103000_2026.06.29.731833v1.54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1244","DOI":"10.3758\/s13428-019-01314-1","article-title":"GlassesViewer: Open-source software for viewing and analyzing data from the Tobii Pro Glasses 2 eye tracker","volume":"52","year":"2020","journal-title":"Behav. Res. Methods"}],"container-title":[],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.64898\/2026.06.29.731833","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,6]],"date-time":"2026-07-06T07:55:42Z","timestamp":1783324542000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/biorxiv.org\/lookup\/doi\/10.64898\/2026.06.29.731833"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]]},"references-count":54,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64898\/2026.06.29.731833","relation":{},"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]]},"subtype":"preprint"}}