Oculomotor and skeletal motor systems share one map of visual space.
Previous research has shown that cognitive and motor visual systems have separate maps of visual space because spatial values in them can be manipulated independently. Here we ask whether the motor map in turn can be divided into separate representations of space. Forty large saccadic eye movements in darkness resulted in significant ocular undershoot of a remembered eccentric target location, and a comparable amount of undershoot with manual pointing to the same remembered target. Saccadic and manual measures were also highly correlated within sessions as well as between sessions. Because pointing could be changed by manipulating only saccades, we conclude that the two systems share a single map of space.
Nemire
K
K
Program in Experimental Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz 95064.
Bridgeman
B
B
D005133:Eye Movements; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D009068:Movement; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D012438:Saccades; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors