Structure and function of the visual fixation system

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K06702
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurophysiology / General neuroscience
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: IZAWA Yoshiko 東京医科歯科大学, 大学院医歯学総合研究科, 講師 (40372453)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-10-21 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 前頭眼野 / 上丘 / 眼球運動 / 注視 / 頭部運動 / 随伴発射

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We recorded the activity of fixation neurons in the frontal eye field (FEF) in trained monkeys and analyzed their activity during smooth pursuit eye movements. Fixation neurons were densely located in the area of the FEF in the caudal part of the arcuate gyrus facing the inferior arcuate sulcus where focal electrical stimulation suppressed the generation of saccades and smooth pursuit in bilateral directions at an intensity lower than the threshold for eliciting electrically evoked saccades. Of the fixation neurons we recorded, more than two-thirds were found to show a reduction in activity during smooth pursuit in the ipsilateral and bilateral directions.

Free Research Field

神経生理