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The Journal of Neuroscience, November 4, 2009, 29(44):13815-13822; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2352-09.2009

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Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
The Responses of Visual Neurons in the Frontal Eye Field Are Biased for Saccades

Bonnie M. Lawrence¹ and Lawrence H. Snyder²

¹Department of Psychology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, and ²Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110

Correspondence should be addressed to Bonnie M. Lawrence, Department of Psychology, Mather Memorial Building, #109, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106. Email: bonnie.lawrence{at}case.edu

Previous research suggests that visually responsive neurons in the frontal eye field (FEF) respond to visual targets even when they are not the goal of a saccadic eye movement. These results raise the possibility that these neurons respond to visual targets independent of the effector that is to be used to acquire the target locations. In the present study, we examined whether a plan to execute a saccade or a reach to a visual target influenced the response to and the representation of targets in the FEF. We recorded single unit responses to the onset of the target, during the delay period, and around the time of the movement, on interleaved saccade and reach trials of a delayed-response task. We found that the responses of approximately equal percentages of visual, visuomovement, and movement neurons (50%, 58%, and 58%, respectively) were greater on saccade trials than on reach trials in at least one interval of the delayed-response task. Converse biases, in favor of reaches, were much less frequent (13%, 10%, and 19%, in visual, visuomovement, and movement neurons respectively). Thus, although visual neurons may not be directly involved in triggering saccadic eye movements, they are nonetheless highly saccade-biased, with percentages comparable to neurons that are directly involved in triggering saccadic eye movements.

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Received May 14, 2009; revised Aug. 5, 2009; accepted Sept. 11, 2009.

Correspondence should be addressed to Bonnie M. Lawrence, Department of Psychology, Mather Memorial Building, #109, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106. Email: bonnie.lawrence{at}case.edu

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