Contribution of the frontal eye field to gaze shifts in the head-unrestrained monkey: effects of microstimulation. 2007

Thomas A Knight, and Albert F Fuchs
Washington National Primate Research Center, 1959 NE Pacific St., HSB I421, Box 357330, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7330, USA.

The role of the primate frontal eye field (FEF) has been inferred primarily from experiments investigating saccadic eye movements with the head restrained. Three recent reports investigating head-unrestrained gaze shifts disagree on whether head movements are evoked with FEF stimulation and thus whether the FEF participates in gaze movement commands. We therefore examined the eye, head, and overall gaze movement evoked by low-intensity microstimulation of the low-threshold region of the FEF in two head-unrestrained monkeys. Microstimulation applied at 200 or 350 Hz for 200 ms evoked large gaze shifts with substantial head movement components from most sites in the dorsomedial FEF, but evoked small, predominantly eye-only gaze shifts from ventrolateral sites. The size and direction of gaze and eye movements were strongly affected by the eye position before stimulation. Head movements exhibited little position dependency, but at some sites and initial eye positions, head-only movements were evoked. Stimulus-evoked gaze shifts and their eye and head components resembled those elicited naturally by visual targets. With stimulus train durations >200 ms, the evoked gaze shifts were more likely to be accomplished with a substantial head movement, which often continued for the entire stimulus duration. The amplitude, duration and peak velocity of the evoked head movement were more strongly correlated with stimulus duration than were those of the gaze or eye movements. We conclude that the dorsomedial FEF generates a gaze command signal that can produce eye, head, or combined eye-head movement depending on the initial orbital position of the eye.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008253 Macaca mulatta A species of the genus MACACA inhabiting India, China, and other parts of Asia. The species is used extensively in biomedical research and adapts very well to living with humans. Chinese Rhesus Macaques,Macaca mulatta lasiota,Monkey, Rhesus,Rhesus Monkey,Rhesus Macaque,Chinese Rhesus Macaque,Macaca mulatta lasiotas,Macaque, Rhesus,Rhesus Macaque, Chinese,Rhesus Macaques,Rhesus Macaques, Chinese,Rhesus Monkeys
D008297 Male Males
D009334 Neck Muscles The neck muscles consist of the platysma, splenius cervicis, sternocleidomastoid(eus), longus colli, the anterior, medius, and posterior scalenes, digastric(us), stylohyoid(eus), mylohyoid(eus), geniohyoid(eus), sternohyoid(eus), omohyoid(eus), sternothyroid(eus), and thyrohyoid(eus). Muscle, Neck,Muscles, Neck,Neck Muscle
D009801 Oculomotor Muscles The muscles that move the eye. Included in this group are the medial rectus, lateral rectus, superior rectus, inferior rectus, inferior oblique, superior oblique, musculus orbitalis, and levator palpebrae superioris. Extraocular Muscles,Extraocular Rectus Muscles,Inferior Oblique Extraocular Muscle,Inferior Oblique Muscles,Levator Palpebrae Superioris,Musculus Orbitalis,Oblique Extraocular Muscles,Oblique Muscle, Inferior,Oblique Muscle, Superior,Oblique Muscles, Extraocular,Rectus Muscles, Extraocular,Superior Oblique Extraocular Muscle,Superior Oblique Muscle,Extraocular Muscle,Extraocular Muscle, Oblique,Extraocular Muscles, Oblique,Extraocular Oblique Muscle,Extraocular Oblique Muscles,Extraocular Rectus Muscle,Inferior Oblique Muscle,Muscle, Oculomotor,Muscles, Oculomotor,Oblique Extraocular Muscle,Oblique Muscle, Extraocular,Oblique Muscles, Inferior,Oblique Muscles, Superior,Oculomotor Muscle,Rectus Muscle, Extraocular,Superior Oblique Muscles
D009949 Orientation Awareness of oneself in relation to time, place and person. Cognitive Orientation,Mental Orientation,Psychological Orientation,Cognitive Orientations,Mental Orientations,Orientation, Cognitive,Orientation, Mental,Orientation, Psychological,Orientations,Orientations, Cognitive,Orientations, Mental,Orientations, Psychological,Psychological Orientations
D011597 Psychomotor Performance The coordination of a sensory or ideational (cognitive) process and a motor activity. Perceptual Motor Performance,Sensory Motor Performance,Visual Motor Coordination,Coordination, Visual Motor,Coordinations, Visual Motor,Motor Coordination, Visual,Motor Coordinations, Visual,Motor Performance, Perceptual,Motor Performance, Sensory,Motor Performances, Perceptual,Motor Performances, Sensory,Perceptual Motor Performances,Performance, Perceptual Motor,Performance, Psychomotor,Performance, Sensory Motor,Performances, Perceptual Motor,Performances, Psychomotor,Performances, Sensory Motor,Psychomotor Performances,Sensory Motor Performances,Visual Motor Coordinations
D004525 Efferent Pathways Nerve structures through which impulses are conducted from a nerve center toward a peripheral site. Such impulses are conducted via efferent neurons (NEURONS, EFFERENT), such as MOTOR NEURONS, autonomic neurons, and hypophyseal neurons. Motor Pathways,Efferent Pathway,Pathway, Efferent,Pathways, Efferent
D004558 Electric Stimulation Use of electric potential or currents to elicit biological responses. Stimulation, Electric,Electrical Stimulation,Electric Stimulations,Electrical Stimulations,Stimulation, Electrical,Stimulations, Electric,Stimulations, Electrical
D004856 Postural Balance A POSTURE in which an ideal body mass distribution is achieved. Postural balance provides the body carriage stability and conditions for normal functions in stationary position or in movement, such as sitting, standing, or walking. Postural Control,Posture Balance,Posture Control,Posture Equilibrium,Balance, Postural,Musculoskeletal Equilibrium,Postural Equilibrium,Balance, Posture,Control, Postural,Control, Posture,Equilibrium, Musculoskeletal,Equilibrium, Postural,Equilibrium, Posture,Postural Controls,Posture Balances,Posture Controls,Posture Equilibriums
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

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