Biomaterial Database

Foveal tracking cells in the superior temporal sulcus of the macaque monkey. 1989

R G Erickson, and B M Dow

Department of Physiology, State University of New York, Buffalo 14226.

Visual responses were recorded from neurons in the superior temporal sulcus (STS) of awake, behaving cynomolgus monkeys trained to fixate a small spot of light. Visual receptive fields, directionality, and responses during visual tracking were examined quantitatively for 50 cells in the foveal portion of the middle temporal (MT) visual area and surrounding cortex. Directionality indices and preferred directions for tracked and nontracked stimuli were compared. Eighteen cells (18/50 = 36%) were found to respond preferentially during tracking (tracking cells), 7 within MT, 9 in area FST on the floor of the STS, and 2 in unidentified areas. Three distinctly different tracking response profiles (VTS, VTO, and T) were observed. VTS and VTO cells had foveal receptive fields and gave directionally selective visual responses. VTS cells (3 in foveal MT, 6 in FST, 1 in an unidentified area) had a preferred visual direction that coincided with the preferred tracking direction, and began responding 50-100 ms before the onset of tracking. VTO cells (4 in foveal MT, 0 in FST, 1 in an unidentified area) had a preferred visual direction opposite to the preferred tracking direction, and began responding 0-100 ms after the onset of tracking. T cells (0 in MT, 3 in FST) had no visual responses and began responding simultaneously with the onset of tracking. It is suggested that this region of the brain could be the primary location for converting direction-specific visual responses into signals specifying at least the direction of an intended pursuit movement.

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
D008252	Macaca fascicularis	A species of the genus MACACA which typically lives near the coast in tidal creeks and mangrove swamps primarily on the islands of the Malay peninsula.	Burmese Long-Tailed Macaque,Crab-Eating Monkey,Cynomolgus Monkey,M. f. aurea,M. fascicularis,Macaca fascicularis aurea,Monkey, Crab-Eating,Monkey, Cynomolgus,Crab-Eating Macaque,Burmese Long Tailed Macaque,Crab Eating Macaque,Crab Eating Monkey,Crab-Eating Macaques,Crab-Eating Monkeys,Cynomolgus Monkeys,Long-Tailed Macaque, Burmese,Macaque, Burmese Long-Tailed,Macaque, Crab-Eating,Monkey, Crab Eating
D008266	Macula Lutea	An oval area in the retina, 3 to 5 mm in diameter, usually located temporal to the posterior pole of the eye and slightly below the level of the optic disk. It is characterized by the presence of a yellow pigment diffusely permeating the inner layers, contains the fovea centralis in its center, and provides the best phototropic visual acuity. It is devoid of retinal blood vessels, except in its periphery, and receives nourishment from the choriocapillaris of the choroid. (From Cline et al., Dictionary of Visual Science, 4th ed)	Lutea, Macula,Luteas, Macula,Macula Luteas
D009039	Motion Perception	The real or apparent movement of objects through the visual field.	Movement Perception,Perception, Motion,Perception, Movement
D010775	Photic Stimulation	Investigative technique commonly used during ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY in which a series of bright light flashes or visual patterns are used to elicit brain activity.	Stimulation, Photic,Visual Stimulation,Photic Stimulations,Stimulation, Visual,Stimulations, Photic,Stimulations, Visual,Visual Stimulations
D011930	Reaction Time	The time from the onset of a stimulus until a response is observed.	Response Latency,Response Speed,Response Time,Latency, Response,Reaction Times,Response Latencies,Response Times,Speed, Response,Speeds, Response
D005074	Evoked Potentials, Visual	The electric response evoked in the cerebral cortex by visual stimulation or stimulation of the visual pathways.	Visual Evoked Response,Evoked Potential, Visual,Evoked Response, Visual,Evoked Responses, Visual,Potential, Visual Evoked,Potentials, Visual Evoked,Response, Visual Evoked,Responses, Visual Evoked,Visual Evoked Potential,Visual Evoked Potentials,Visual Evoked Responses
D005584	Fovea Centralis	An area approximately 1.5 millimeters in diameter within the macula lutea where the retina thins out greatly because of the oblique shifting of all layers except the pigment epithelium layer. It includes the sloping walls of the fovea (clivus) and contains a few rods in its periphery. In its center (foveola) are the cones most adapted to yield high visual acuity, each cone being connected to only one ganglion cell. (Cline et al., Dictionary of Visual Science, 4th ed)
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
D013702	Temporal Lobe	Lower lateral part of the cerebral hemisphere responsible for auditory, olfactory, and semantic processing. It is located inferior to the lateral fissure and anterior to the OCCIPITAL LOBE.	Anterior Temporal Lobe,Brodmann Area 20,Brodmann Area 21,Brodmann Area 22,Brodmann Area 37,Brodmann Area 38,Brodmann Area 52,Brodmann's Area 20,Brodmann's Area 21,Brodmann's Area 22,Brodmann's Area 37,Brodmann's Area 38,Brodmann's Area 52,Inferior Temporal Gyrus,Middle Temporal Gyrus,Parainsular Area,Fusiform Gyrus,Gyrus Fusiformis,Gyrus Temporalis Superior,Inferior Horn of Lateral Ventricle,Inferior Horn of the Lateral Ventricle,Lateral Occipito-Temporal Gyrus,Lateral Occipitotemporal Gyrus,Occipitotemporal Gyrus,Planum Polare,Superior Temporal Gyrus,Temporal Cortex,Temporal Gyrus,Temporal Horn,Temporal Horn of the Lateral Ventricle,Temporal Operculum,Temporal Region,Temporal Sulcus,Anterior Temporal Lobes,Area 20, Brodmann,Area 20, Brodmann's,Area 21, Brodmann,Area 21, Brodmann's,Area 22, Brodmann,Area 22, Brodmann's,Area 37, Brodmann,Area 37, Brodmann's,Area 38, Brodmann,Area 38, Brodmann's,Area 52, Brodmann,Area 52, Brodmann's,Area, Parainsular,Areas, Parainsular,Brodmanns Area 20,Brodmanns Area 21,Brodmanns Area 22,Brodmanns Area 37,Brodmanns Area 38,Brodmanns Area 52,Cortex, Temporal,Gyrus, Fusiform,Gyrus, Inferior Temporal,Gyrus, Lateral Occipito-Temporal,Gyrus, Lateral Occipitotemporal,Gyrus, Middle Temporal,Gyrus, Occipitotemporal,Gyrus, Superior Temporal,Gyrus, Temporal,Horn, Temporal,Lateral Occipito Temporal Gyrus,Lobe, Anterior Temporal,Lobe, Temporal,Occipito-Temporal Gyrus, Lateral,Occipitotemporal Gyrus, Lateral,Operculum, Temporal,Parainsular Areas,Region, Temporal,Sulcus, Temporal,Temporal Cortices,Temporal Gyrus, Inferior,Temporal Gyrus, Middle,Temporal Gyrus, Superior,Temporal Horns,Temporal Lobe, Anterior,Temporal Lobes,Temporal Lobes, Anterior,Temporal Regions