Smooth pursuitlike eye movements evoked by microstimulation in macaque nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis. 1996

T Yamada, and D A Suzuki, and R D Yee
Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202, USA.

1. Smooth pursuitlike eye movements were evoked with low current microstimulation delivered to rostral portions of the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis (rNRTP) in alert macaques. Microstimulation sites were selected by the observation of modulations in single-cell firing rates that were correlated with periodic smoothpursuit eye movements. Current intensities ranged from 10 to 120 microA and were routinely < 40 microA. Microstimulation was delivered either in the dark with no fixation, 100 ms after a fixation target was extinguished, or during maintained fixation of a stationary or moving target. Evoked eye movements also were studied under open-loop conditions with the target image stabilized on the retina. 2. Eye movements evoked in the absence of a target rapidly accelerated to a constant velocity that was maintained for the duration of the microstimulation. Evoked eye speeds ranged from 3.7 to 23 deg/s and averaged 11 deg/s. Evoked eye speed appeared to be linearly related to initial eye position with a sensitivity to initial eye position that averaged 0.23 deg.s-1.deg-1. While some horizontal and oblique smooth eye movements were elicited, microstimulation resulted in upward eye movements in 89% of the sites. 3. Evoked eye speed was found to be dependent on microstimulation pulse frequency and current intensity. Within limits, evoked eye speed increased with increases in stimulation frequency or current intensity. For stimulation frequencies < 300-400 Hz, only smooth pursuit-like eye movements were evoked. At higher stimulation frequencies, accompanying saccades consistently were elicited. 4. Feedback of retinal image motion interacted with the evoked eye movements to decrease eye speed if the visual motion was in the opposite direction as the evoked, pursuit-like eye movements. 5. The results implicate rNRTP as part of the neuronal substrate that controls smooth-pursuit eye movements. NRTP appears to be divided functionally into a rostral, pursuit-related portion and a caudal, saccade-related area. rNRTP is a component of a corticopontocerebellar circuit that presumably involves the pursuit area of the frontal eye field and that parallels the middle and medial superior temporal cerebral cortical/dorsalateral pontine nucleus (MT/MST-DLPN-cerebellum) pathway known to be involved also with regulating smooth-pursuit eye movements.

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
D011149 Pons The front part of the hindbrain (RHOMBENCEPHALON) that lies between the MEDULLA and the midbrain (MESENCEPHALON) ventral to the cerebellum. It is composed of two parts, the dorsal and the ventral. The pons serves as a relay station for neural pathways between the CEREBELLUM to the CEREBRUM. Pons Varolii,Ponte,Pons Varolius,Pontes,Varolii, Pons,Varolius, Pons
D011698 Pursuit, Smooth Eye movements that are slow, continuous, and conjugate and occur when a fixed object is moved slowly. Pursuits, Smooth,Smooth Pursuit,Smooth Pursuits
D012154 Reticular Formation A region extending from the PONS & MEDULLA OBLONGATA through the MESENCEPHALON, characterized by a diversity of neurons of various sizes and shapes, arranged in different aggregations and enmeshed in a complicated fiber network. Formation, Reticular,Formations, Reticular,Reticular Formations
D005133 Eye Movements Voluntary or reflex-controlled movements of the eye. Eye Movement,Movement, Eye,Movements, Eye
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
D013681 Tegmentum Mesencephali Portion of midbrain situated under the dorsal TECTUM MESENCEPHALI. The two ventrolateral cylindrical masses or peduncles are large nerve fiber bundles providing a tract of passage between the FOREBRAIN with the HINDBRAIN. Ventral MIDBRAIN also contains three colorful structures: the GRAY MATTER (PERIAQUEDUCTAL GRAY), the black substance (SUBSTANTIA NIGRA), and the RED NUCLEUS. Accessory Oculomotor Nuclei,Annular Nucleus,Darkshevich's Nucleus,Interstitial Nucleus of Cajal,Mesencephalic Tegmentum,Mesencephalic Trigeminal Nucleus,Midbrain Tegmentum,Midbrain Trigeminal Nucleus,Nucleus Annularis,Nucleus Nervi Trochlearis,Nucleus Sagulum,Nucleus Tractus Mesencephalici Nervi Trigemini,Nucleus of Darkschewitsch,Peripeduncular Nucleus,Sagulum Nucleus,Tegmentum of Midbrain,Trochlear Nucleus,Ventral Tegmental Nucleus,Annulari, Nucleus,Annularis, Nucleus,Cajal Interstitial Nucleus,Darkschewitsch Nucleus,Darkshevich Nucleus,Darkshevichs Nucleus,Mesencephali, Tegmentum,Mesencephalic Tegmentums,Mesencephalus, Tegmentum,Midbrain Tegmentums,Nervi Trochleari, Nucleus,Nervi Trochlearis, Nucleus,Nuclei, Accessory Oculomotor,Nucleus Annulari,Nucleus Nervi Trochleari,Nucleus Sagulums,Nucleus, Annular,Nucleus, Darkshevich's,Nucleus, Mesencephalic Trigeminal,Nucleus, Midbrain Trigeminal,Nucleus, Peripeduncular,Nucleus, Sagulum,Nucleus, Trochlear,Nucleus, Ventral Tegmental,Oculomotor Nuclei, Accessory,Sagulum, Nucleus,Sagulums, Nucleus,Tegmental Nucleus, Ventral,Tegmentum Mesencephalus,Tegmentum, Mesencephalic,Tegmentum, Midbrain,Tegmentums, Mesencephalic,Tegmentums, Midbrain,Trigeminal Nucleus, Mesencephalic,Trigeminal Nucleus, Midbrain,Trochleari, Nucleus Nervi,Trochlearis, Nucleus Nervi

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