Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol 69, Issue 3 953-964, Copyright © 1993 by APS

ARTICLES

Effects of low-frequency stimulation of the superior colliculus on spontaneous and visually guided saccades

P. W. Glimcher and D. L. Sparks
Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104.

1. The first experiment of this study determined the effects of low-frequency stimulation of the monkey superior colliculus on spontaneous saccades in the dark. Stimulation trains, subthreshold for eliciting short-latency fixed-vector saccades, were highly effective at biasing the metrics (direction and amplitude) of spontaneous movements. During low-frequency stimulation, the distribution of saccade metrics was biased toward the direction and amplitude of movements induced by suprathreshold stimulation of the same collicular location. 2. Low-frequency stimulation biased the distribution of saccade metrics but did not initiate movements. The distribution of intervals between stimulation onset and the onset of the next saccade did not differ significantly from the distribution of intervals between an arbitrary point in time and the onset of the next saccade under unstimulated conditions. 3. Results of our second experiment indicate that low-frequency stimulation also influenced the metrics of visually guided saccades. The magnitude of the stimulation-induced bias increased as stimulation current or frequency was increased. 4. The time course of these effects was analyzed by terminating stimulation immediately before, during, or after visually guided saccades. Stimulation trains terminated at the onset of a movement were as effective as stimulation trains that continued throughout the movement. No effects were observed if stimulation ended 40-60 ms before the movement began. 5. These results show that low-frequency collicular stimulation can influence the direction and amplitude of spontaneous or visually guided saccades without initiating a movement. These data are compatible with the hypothesis that the collicular activity responsible for specifying the horizontal and vertical amplitude of a saccade differs from the type of collicular activity that initiates a saccade.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. L. Kimmel and T. Moore Temporal Patterning of Saccadic Eye Movement Signals J. Neurosci., July 18, 2007; 27(29): 7619 - 7630. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. C. Dorris, E. Olivier, and D. P. Munoz Competitive Integration of Visual and Preparatory Signals in the Superior Colliculus during Saccadic Programming J. Neurosci., May 9, 2007; 27(19): 5053 - 5062. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. D. Corneil, D. P. Munoz, and E. Olivier Priming of Head Premotor Circuits During Oculomotor Preparation J Neurophysiol, January 1, 2007; 97(1): 701 - 714. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Cavanaugh, B. D. Alvarez, and R. H. Wurtz Enhanced performance with brain stimulation: attentional shift or visual cue? J. Neurosci., November 1, 2006; 26(44): 11347 - 11358. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. R. S. Kaneko Saccade-Related, Long-Lead Burst Neurons in the Monkey Rostral Pons J Neurophysiol, February 1, 2006; 95(2): 979 - 994. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Opris, A. Barborica, and V. P. Ferrera Microstimulation of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Biases Saccade Target Selection J. Cogn. Neurosci., June 1, 2005; 17(6): 893 - 904. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. J. Gandhi and D. K. Bonadonna Temporal Interactions of Air-Puff-Evoked Blinks and Saccadic Eye Movements: Insights Into Motor Preparation J Neurophysiol, March 1, 2005; 93(3): 1718 - 1729. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Watanabe, Y. Kobayashi, Y. Inoue, and T. Isa Effects of Local Nicotinic Activation of the Superior Colliculus on Saccades in Monkeys J Neurophysiol, January 1, 2005; 93(1): 519 - 534. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Cavanaugh and R. H. Wurtz Subcortical Modulation of Attention Counters Change Blindness J. Neurosci., December 15, 2004; 24(50): 11236 - 11243. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. M. McPeek, J. H. Han, and E. L. Keller Competition Between Saccade Goals in the Superior Colliculus Produces Saccade Curvature J Neurophysiol, May 1, 2003; 89(5): 2577 - 2590. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Chaturvedi and J. A. M. van Gisbergen Perturbation of Combined Saccade-Vergence Movements by Microstimulation in Monkey Superior Colliculus J Neurophysiol, May 1, 1999; 81(5): 2279 - 2296. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Basso and R. H. Wurtz Modulation of Neuronal Activity in Superior Colliculus by Changes in Target Probability J. Neurosci., September 15, 1998; 18(18): 7519 - 7534. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. L. Platt and P. W. Glimcher Responses of Intraparietal Neurons to Saccadic Targets and Visual Distractors J Neurophysiol, September 1, 1997; 78(3): 1574 - 1589. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. D. Burman and C. J. Bruce Suppression of Task-Related Saccades by Electrical Stimulation in the Primate's Frontal Eye Field J Neurophysiol, May 1, 1997; 77(5): 2252 - 2267. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]