Functional neuroanatomy of smooth pursuit and predictive saccades

• Published in: Neuroreport Vol. 11; no. 6; p. 1335
• Main Authors: O'Driscoll, G A, Wolff, A L, Benkelfat, C, Florencio, P S, Lal, S, Evans, A C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 27.04.2000
• Subjects: Adult; Brain - blood supply; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - physiology; Brain Mapping; Caudate Nucleus - blood supply; Caudate Nucleus - physiology; Cerebellum - blood supply; Cerebellum - physiology; Cerebrovascular Circulation - physiology; Female; Fixation, Ocular - physiology; Frontal Lobe - blood supply; Frontal Lobe - physiology; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Nucleus Accumbens - blood supply; Nucleus Accumbens - physiology; Occipital Lobe - blood supply; Occipital Lobe - physiology; Pursuit, Smooth - physiology; Reaction Time - physiology; Reference Values; Saccades - physiology; Superior Colliculi - blood supply; Superior Colliculi - physiology; Temporal Lobe - blood supply; Temporal Lobe - physiology; Tomography, Emission-Computed
• ISSN: 0959-4965; 1473-558X
• DOI: 10.1097/00001756-200004270-00037

We used PET to study differences in cerebral blood flow (CBF) in smooth pursuit, predictive saccades and fixation. Eye movements were monitored in the scanner. Compared with fixation, pursuit and predictive saccades activated a network of highly similar areas, including frontal eye fields, supplementary eye fields, V5 and medial cuneus. Our findings are consistent with non-human primate studies that suggest that pursuit and saccades are controlled by similar and adjacent neural areas. Pursuit was associated with greater activation of caudate than saccades, suggesting a role for basal ganglia in pursuit that is consistent with studies of neurological populations. Saccades were associated with greater activation of cerebellum and frontal eye fields. A frontal-cerebellar loop may be important in coordinating the preparation and timing of saccades in predictive tracking.