Antisaccade deficit after inactivation of the principal sulcus in monkeys

Cereb Cortex. 2007 Jan;17(1):221-9. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhj140. Epub 2006 Feb 15.

Abstract

The antisaccade (AS) task, which requires the ability to suppress unwanted reflexive glances, has proven to be a powerful tool for the analysis of executive control. Performing this task activates a large frontoparietal network, but which area is specifically responsible for reflexive saccade (RS) inhibition has not yet been demonstrated. We reversibly inactivated portions of the principal sulcus in 2 monkeys trained to perform AS and RS tasks. Here we show that inactivation of a circumscribed area in the ventral bank of the principal sulcus induced a strong impairment of RS inhibition without affecting RS triggering. Our results are compatible with a partitioning of the principal sulcus into functional subregions, in which a well-delineated area is critically involved in RS suppression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • GABA Agonists / administration & dosage
  • GABA Agonists / pharmacology
  • Male
  • Microinjections
  • Muscimol / administration & dosage
  • Muscimol / pharmacology
  • Nerve Net / physiology*
  • Prefrontal Cortex / physiology*
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology
  • Saccades / physiology*
  • Visual Cortex / physiology*
  • Visual Fields / physiology

Substances

  • GABA Agonists
  • Muscimol