Hand position modulates saccadic activity in the frontal eye field.
Recent neurophysiological studies have begun to uncover the neuronal correlates of eye hand coordination. This study was designed to test whether the frontal eye field (FEF) saccadic activity is modulated by hand position. Single neurons were recorded in two macaque monkeys performing visually guided saccades while holding their hand at given locations on a touchscreen. To determine the relative contributions of hand vision and its proprioception, monkeys executed the task with or without vision of the hand. We found that saccadic activity of more than half of the neuronal sample (54%; n=130) was dependent on hand position relative to the saccade end point. Both visual and proprioceptive signals contributed to this modulation. These data demonstrate that the oculomotor function of the FEF takes into account hand position in space.
Thura
David
D
Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives de la Méditerranée, UMR 6193, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique & Aix-Marseille Université, 31 chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402 Marseille cedex 20, France.
Hadj-Bouziane
Fadila
F
Meunier
Martine
M
Boussaoud
Driss
D
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*; D012438:Saccades / Q000502:physiology*