title: Eye position-sensitive units in hippocampal formation and in inferotemporal cortex of the macaque monkey.
abstract: The activity of 330 hippocampal and inferotemporal cells was recorded while seated monkeys with fixed heads worked in a visual discrimination task. Monkeys had to move their eyes to one of five different positions to maintain gaze on an image. The image was then extinguished and the monkeys maintained a fixed gaze on the target position in darkness to obtain a reward. The five positions of image presentation were on a horizontal line, consisting of a centre position and lateral positions which were 10 and 20 degrees right and left of it. Twenty-two per cent of single units recorded from the hippocampus showed statistically significant sensitivity to target position in complete darkness. A similar fraction (23%) was significantly affected by target position in the light. Position sensitivity was also found among cells recorded from the inferotemporal cortex. Eye position significantly influenced the activity of 19% of inferotemporal units in darkness and 28% of inferotemporal units in the light. Interestingly, the populations of cells showing position effect in the light and in darkness were independent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy and The Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. nowicka@nencki.gov.pl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nowicka
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ringo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003624:Darkness; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology*; D008027:Light; D008254:Macaca nemestrina / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*