Eye position signals in the flocculus of the monkey during smooth-pursuit eye movements. 1982

H Noda, and T Warabi

1. Discharges of Purkinje cells and mossy fibres were recorded from the flocculus of monkeys trained to fixate a small visual target and to track the target when it moved slowly.2. Discharges of Purkinje cells changed tonically with shifts of gaze. Firing rates were linearly related to eye positions for either the entire or more than half the eye-position range in 12.6% of Purkinje cells tested (76/603 units).3. The eye position-related activity (position component) was observable in these cells also during smooth-pursuit eye movements. It was typically seen during slow eye movements (velocities less than 10 deg/s) but became undetectable during high velocity movements (faster than 50 deg/s).4. The position component became prominent when smooth pursuit was executed at the preferred loci of the individual cells. In the majority of the cells tested at their preferred loci, the position component was observable to a relatively high frequency, such as 0.5 Hz (+/- 10 deg; peak velocity 31 deg/s).5. Forty-five mossy fibre units showed saccade-related bursts and position-related intersaccadic tonic activity during steady eye position. In each unit, the position component was found only during fixations within a specific range of eye positions. During fixations outside these regions, all position-related mossy fibres were completely silent.6. During sinusoidal smooth-pursuit eye movements, the mossy fibres also displayed cyclic modulations in activity. All fibres discharged with eye movements in one direction and were silent during eye movements in the other direction.7. Saccade-related bursts from mossy fibres led the onset of saccades, ranging from 0 to 19 ms with a mean lead-time of 6.9 ms. This observation negates the possibility that the position-related signals might represent proprioceptive impulses from the stretch receptors of the extraocular muscle.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008254 Macaca nemestrina A species of the genus MACACA which inhabits Malaya, Sumatra, and Borneo. It is one of the most arboreal species of Macaca. The tail is short and untwisted. M. leonina,Macaca nemestrina leonina,Macaca nemestrina pagensis,Macaca nemestrina siberu,Macaca siberu,Monkey, Pig-Tailed,Pagai Macaque,Pig-Tail Macaque,Pig-Tailed Macaque,Pig-Tailed Monkey,M. pagensis,Macaca pagensis,Monkey, Pigtail,Monkey, Pigtailed,Pigtail Macaque,Macaque, Pagai,Macaque, Pig-Tail,Macaque, Pig-Tailed,Macaque, Pigtail,Monkey, Pig Tailed,Pagai Macaques,Pig Tail Macaque,Pig Tailed Macaque,Pig Tailed Monkey,Pig-Tail Macaques,Pig-Tailed Macaques,Pig-Tailed Monkeys,Pigtail Macaques,Pigtail Monkey,Pigtail Monkeys,Pigtailed Monkey,Pigtailed Monkeys
D009046 Motor Neurons Neurons which activate MUSCLE CELLS. Neurons, Motor,Alpha Motorneurons,Motoneurons,Motor Neurons, Alpha,Neurons, Alpha Motor,Alpha Motor Neuron,Alpha Motor Neurons,Alpha Motorneuron,Motoneuron,Motor Neuron,Motor Neuron, Alpha,Motorneuron, Alpha,Motorneurons, Alpha,Neuron, Alpha Motor,Neuron, Motor
D009412 Nerve Fibers Slender processes of NEURONS, including the AXONS and their glial envelopes (MYELIN SHEATH). Nerve fibers conduct nerve impulses to and from the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Cerebellar Mossy Fibers,Mossy Fibers, Cerebellar,Cerebellar Mossy Fiber,Mossy Fiber, Cerebellar,Nerve Fiber
D009475 Neurons, Afferent Neurons which conduct NERVE IMPULSES to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Afferent Neurons,Afferent Neuron,Neuron, Afferent
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
D005133 Eye Movements Voluntary or reflex-controlled movements of the eye. Eye Movement,Movement, Eye,Movements, Eye
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
D012438 Saccades An abrupt voluntary shift in ocular fixation from one point to another, as occurs in reading. Pursuit, Saccadic,Saccadic Eye Movements,Eye Movement, Saccadic,Eye Movements, Saccadic,Movement, Saccadic Eye,Movements, Saccadic Eye,Pursuits, Saccadic,Saccade,Saccadic Eye Movement,Saccadic Pursuit,Saccadic Pursuits

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