title: Efference copy provides the eye position information required for visually guided reaching.
abstract: The contribution of extraocular muscle (EOM) proprioception to the eye position signal used to transform retinotopic visual information to a craniotopic reference frame remains uncertain. In this study we examined the effects of unilateral and bilateral proprioceptive deafferentation of the EOMs on the accuracy of reaching movements directed to visual targets. No significant changes occurred in the mean accuracy (constant error) or variance (variable error) of pointing after unilateral or bilateral deafferentation. We concluded that in normal animals efference copy provides sufficient information about orbital eye position to code space in craniotopic coordinates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Gaymard
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Tamargo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D003714:Denervation; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*