The role of the flocculus of the monkey in fixation and smooth pursuit eye movements. 1979

H Noda, and D A Suzuki

1. Purkinje cell discharges were recorded from the flocculus of monkeys trained to fixate a small visual target and to track the target when moved slowly. 2. A striking feature of Purkinje cell activity during the steady fixation was a high rate of tonic discharges with regular interspike intervals. The average discharge rate in the whole population of Purkinje cells ranged from 37 to 145 spikes/sec. The coefficient of variation of the interspike intervals was typically smaller than 0.5 in most units. 3. In 43.9% of the Purkinje cells, tonic levels of activity changed by more than 20% of the average background activity with shifts of gaze. 4. In some Purkinje cells, especially in most burst-pause units, discharge rates during steady fixation were proportional to eye positions in one plane, implicating these cells as sources of eye position information to their target cells. 5. When the monkey tracked a sinusoidally oscillating target, the activity of some Purkinje cells was clearly modulated in phase with the eye velocity. 6. In the other Purkinje cells exhibiting smooth pursuit modulation, the activity curve appeared with a phase shift. When these cells were tested with sinusoidal target movements at different frequencies, but with a constant magnitude, the peak firing rates were proportional to the frequencies of the excursions, i.e. the velocities. 7. The flocculus thus provides the oculomotor system with eye position information during fixation and with velocity information during smooth pursuit and participates in the control of oculomotor functions stabilizing retinal images.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008251 Macaca A genus of the subfamily CERCOPITHECINAE, family CERCOPITHECIDAE, consisting of 16 species inhabiting forests of Africa, Asia, and the islands of Borneo, Philippines, and Celebes. Ape, Barbary,Ape, Black,Ape, Celebes,Barbary Ape,Black Ape,Celebes Ape,Macaque,Apes, Barbary,Apes, Black,Apes, Celebes,Barbary Apes,Black Apes,Celebes Apes,Macacas,Macaques
D011689 Purkinje Cells The output neurons of the cerebellar cortex. Purkinje Cell,Purkinje Neuron,Purkyne Cell,Cell, Purkinje,Cell, Purkyne,Cells, Purkinje,Cells, Purkyne,Neuron, Purkinje,Neurons, Purkinje,Purkinje Neurons,Purkyne Cells
D002531 Cerebellum The part of brain that lies behind the BRAIN STEM in the posterior base of skull (CRANIAL FOSSA, POSTERIOR). It is also known as the "little brain" with convolutions similar to those of CEREBRAL CORTEX, inner white matter, and deep cerebellar nuclei. Its function is to coordinate voluntary movements, maintain balance, and learn motor skills. Cerebella,Corpus Cerebelli,Parencephalon,Cerebellums,Parencephalons
D005133 Eye Movements Voluntary or reflex-controlled movements of the eye. Eye Movement,Movement, Eye,Movements, Eye
D005403 Fixation, Ocular Positioning and accommodation of eyes that allows the image to be brought into place on the FOVEA CENTRALIS of each eye. Focusing, Ocular,Ocular Fixation,Eye Gaze,Eye Gazes,Gaze, Eye,Gazes, Eye,Ocular Focusing
D000200 Action Potentials Abrupt changes in the membrane potential that sweep along the CELL MEMBRANE of excitable cells in response to excitation stimuli. Spike Potentials,Nerve Impulses,Action Potential,Impulse, Nerve,Impulses, Nerve,Nerve Impulse,Potential, Action,Potential, Spike,Potentials, Action,Potentials, Spike,Spike Potential
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000882 Haplorhini A suborder of PRIMATES consisting of six families: CEBIDAE (some New World monkeys), ATELIDAE (some New World monkeys), CERCOPITHECIDAE (Old World monkeys), HYLOBATIDAE (gibbons and siamangs), CALLITRICHINAE (marmosets and tamarins), and HOMINIDAE (humans and great apes). Anthropoidea,Monkeys,Anthropoids,Monkey

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