 |
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
Previous Article | Next Article
Volume 17, Number 10, Issue of May 15, 1997 pp. 3847-3860
Copyright ©1997 Society for NeuroscienceEncoding of Smooth Pursuit Direction and Eye Position by Neurons of Area MSTd of Macaque Monkey
Received Dec. 31, 1996; revised Feb. 18, 1997; accepted Feb. 21, 1997.
Salvatore Squatrito1 and Maria Grazia Maioli2 1 Department of Physiology and Pathology, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy, and 2 Department of Human and General Physiology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
The spike activity of neurons was recorded from the dorsal bank of the superior temporal sulcus (area MSTd) of alert behaving macaque monkeys performing visual fixation or target tracking tasks, with the aim of studying the tuning features of these neurons with both the direction of slow eye movement and the position of gaze. One hundred thirty-two neurons were tested for several fixation points and tracking directions. Many of them (43%) tuned to the direction of pursuit, regardless of the angle of gaze. Some (18%) showed a tonic discharge modulated by the static position of the eyes without pursuit direction specificity. A substantial number of cells (22%) were characterized by a discharge rate tuned to pursuit direction but influenced also by angle of gaze. Tuning curves for eye movement direction presented an average bandwidth of 130° and turned out to be continuously overlapping, suggesting a sort of vector coding of smooth pursuit direction. Gaze fields of eye position (EP) neurons were mostly ramp-like, with center of ramps shifted away from the straight ahead, implying a form of scalar coding of gaze eccentricity. The different categories of cells were intermingled and close to each other, suggesting possible reciprocal interactions within the same cortical area. These results show that EP and pursuit direction are signaled mainly by separate neuronal elements in area MSTd. Moreover, some cells can integrate both signals. Taking into account the visual responses of MSTd neurons to large, textured, moving fields, it is suggested that this area could be the site of interaction between visuo-oculomotor signals related to visual motion detection, slow eye movement direction, and EP. This signal interaction may be important for integrative functions such as analysis of external or self-induced visual motion, cortical control of pursuit eye movements, and eye/head coordination.
Key words: oculomotor system; smooth pursuit; eye position; extrastriate cortex; area MSTd; visuomotor integration; self-movement control
This article has been cited by other articles:
U. Nuding, S. Ono, M. J. Mustari, U. Buttner, and S. Glasauer
A Theory of the Dual Pathways for Smooth Pursuit Based on Dynamic Gain Control
J Neurophysiol, June 1, 2008; 99(6): 2798 - 2808.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
H. W. Heuer and K. H. Britten
Linear Responses to Stochastic Motion Signals in Area MST
J Neurophysiol, September 1, 2007; 98(3): 1115 - 1124.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
C. R. Fetsch, S. Wang, Y. Gu, G. C. DeAngelis, and D. E. Angelaki
Spatial Reference Frames of Visual, Vestibular, and Multimodal Heading Signals in the Dorsal Subdivision of the Medial Superior Temporal Area
J. Neurosci., January 17, 2007; 27(3): 700 - 712.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
Y. Gu, P. V. Watkins, D. E. Angelaki, and G. C. DeAngelis
Visual and Nonvisual Contributions to Three-Dimensional Heading Selectivity in the Medial Superior Temporal Area
J. Neurosci., January 4, 2006; 26(1): 73 - 85.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
A. K. Churchland and S. G. Lisberger
Relationship Between Extraretinal Component of Firing Rate and Eye Speed in Area MST of Macaque Monkeys
J Neurophysiol, October 1, 2005; 94(4): 2416 - 2426.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
A. K. Churchland and S. G. Lisberger
Discharge Properties of MST Neurons That Project to the Frontal Pursuit Area in Macaque Monkeys
J Neurophysiol, August 1, 2005; 94(2): 1084 - 1090.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
H. W. Heuer and K. H. Britten
Optic Flow Signals in Extrastriate Area MST: Comparison of Perceptual and Neuronal Sensitivity
J Neurophysiol, March 1, 2004; 91(3): 1314 - 1326.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
B. K. Murphy and K. D. Miller
Multiplicative Gain Changes Are Induced by Excitation or Inhibition Alone
J. Neurosci., November 5, 2003; 23(31): 10040 - 10051.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
U. J. Ilg and P. Thier
Visual Tracking Neurons in Primate Area MST Are Activated by Smooth-Pursuit Eye Movements of an "Imaginary" Target
J Neurophysiol, September 1, 2003; 90(3): 1489 - 1502.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
K. V. Shenoy, J. A. Crowell, and R. A. Andersen
Pursuit Speed Compensation in Cortical Area MSTd
J Neurophysiol, November 1, 2002; 88(5): 2630 - 2647.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
A. Takemura, Y. Inoue, K. Kawano, C. Quaia, and F. A. Miles
Single-Unit Activity in Cortical Area MST Associated With Disparity-Vergence Eye Movements: Evidence for Population Coding
J Neurophysiol, May 1, 2001; 85(5): 2245 - 2266.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
K. V. Shenoy, D. C. Bradley, and R. A. Andersen
Influence of Gaze Rotation on the Visual Response of Primate MSTd Neurons
J Neurophysiol, June 1, 1999; 81(6): 2764 - 2786.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
K. Zhang and T. J. Sejnowski
A Theory of Geometric Constraints on Neural Activity for Natural Three-Dimensional Movement
J. Neurosci., April 15, 1999; 19(8): 3122 - 3145.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
W. K. Page and C. J. Duffy
MST Neuronal Responses to Heading Direction During Pursuit Eye Movements
J Neurophysiol, February 1, 1999; 81(2): 596 - 610.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
M. Tanaka and K. Fukushima
Neuronal Responses Related to Smooth Pursuit Eye Movements in the Periarcuate Cortical Area of Monkeys
J Neurophysiol, July 1, 1998; 80(1): 28 - 47.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|