title: Encoding of smooth-pursuit eye movement initiation by a population of vermal Purkinje cells.
abstract: Lesion studies suggest that the oculomotor vermis (OMV) is critical for the initiation of smooth-pursuit eye movements (SPEMs); yet, its specific role has remained elusive. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that vermal Purkinje cells (PCs) may be needed to fine-tune the kinematic description of SPEM initiation. Recording from identified PCs from the monkey OMV, we observed that SPEM-related PCs were characterized by a formidable diversity of response profiles with typically only modest reflection of eye movement kinematics. In contrast, the PC population discharge could be perfectly predicted based on a linear combination of eye acceleration, velocity, and position. This finding is in full accord with a role of the OMV in shaping eye movement kinematics. It, moreover, supports the notion that this shaping action is based on a population code, whose anatomic basis is the convergence of PCs on target neurons in the cerebellar nuclei.
authors: Department of Cognitive Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors: Suryadeep
authors: S
authors: Dash
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Catz
authors: Peter W
authors: PW
authors: Dicke
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Thier
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology; D016014:Linear Models; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D011698:Pursuit, Smooth / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology