Disparity sensitivity of frontal eye field neurons

J Neurophysiol. 2000 Jan;83(1):625-9. doi: 10.1152/jn.2000.83.1.625.

Abstract

Information about depth is necessary to generate saccades to visual stimuli located in three-dimensional space. To determine whether monkey frontal eye field (FEF) neurons play a role in the visuo-motor processes underlying this behavior, we studied their visual responses to stimuli at different disparities. Disparity sensitivity was tested from 3 degrees of crossed disparity (near) to 3 degrees degrees of uncrossed disparity (far). The responses of about two thirds of FEF visual and visuo-movement neurons were sensitive to disparity and showed a broad tuning in depth for near or far disparities. Early phasic and late tonic visual responses often displayed different disparity sensitivity. These findings provide evidence of depth-related signals in FEF and suggest a role for FEF in the control of disconjugate as well as conjugate eye movements.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain Mapping
  • Depth Perception / physiology
  • Fixation, Ocular
  • Macaca mulatta
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology*
  • Reaction Time
  • Saccades / physiology*
  • Superior Colliculi / physiology*
  • Vision Disparity / physiology*
  • Vision, Binocular / physiology
  • Visual Fields / physiology*