Which test mainly evaluates pursuits?

• A. King-Devick
• B. DEM
• C. Pierce Saccades Tests
• D. Groffman Tracings

Answer: (D)

Smooth pursuit is the ability to smoothly follow a moving target with the eyes. A test that targets this skill presents a moving target the patient tracks, and the clinician looks for how well the eyes maintain continuous tracking, without jumping to catch the target. Groffman Tracings is specifically designed to assess this ability: the patient follows a moving line or outline as it shifts across the page, so you can observe pursuit smoothness, any catch‑up saccades, and any loss of fixation. This direct focus on maintaining continuous, coordinated eye movement makes it the best choice for evaluating pursuits.

The other tests concentrate more on saccades, the quick jumps the eyes make between fixed targets. King-Devick requires rapid ocular jumps as numbers are read aloud, highlighting saccadic speed and accuracy. The Pierce Saccades Tests isolate saccades themselves, and the Developmental Eye Movement test emphasizes saccadic efficiency and visuomotor sequencing, with only incidental involvement of pursuit. So while they provide useful oculomotor information, they’re not primarily about smooth pursuit.