Biomaterial Database

Motor programs of spontaneous and visually guided saccades in macaque monkey: an electrophysiological approach. 1997

C Lucchetti, and L Bon

Istituto di Fisiologia Umana, Universita' di Ferrara, Italy.

The discharge activity of 37 burst neurons in the paramedian pontine reticular formation and the saccades performed in the dark (spontaneous saccades) and between visual targets (attentive visually guided) were recorded in two macaque monkeys. Forty-five % of spontaneous saccades showed more than one maximum of velocity (irregular velocity profiles), while visually guided saccades were always characterized by a single maximum of velocity (regular velocity profiles). The discharge pattern of each burst neuron (short lead neuron) was different according to the saccade velocity profile. We observed a clear inhibition within the burst neuron discharge for irregular velocity profiles, thus giving rise to multiple maxima of discharge frequency, and to a clearly interrupted saccade. The same neuron showed only one maximum of discharge frequency for regular saccades. Then the hypothesis of two different neural networks generating the different motor programs of spontaneous and attentive visual guided saccades is put forward and discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007858	Learning	Relatively permanent change in behavior that is the result of past experience or practice. The concept includes the acquisition of knowledge.	Phenomenography
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
D009474	Neurons	The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
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
D004594	Electrophysiology	The study of the generation and behavior of electrical charges in living organisms particularly the nervous system and the effects of electricity on living organisms.
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
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
D001288	Attention	Focusing on certain aspects of current experience to the exclusion of others. It is the act of heeding or taking notice or concentrating.	Focus of Attention,Selective Attention,Social Attention,Attention Focus,Attention, Selective,Attention, Social,Selective Attentions
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
D015348	Vision, Binocular	The blending of separate images seen by each eye into one composite image.	Binocular Vision