Abstract
A previous review (Cohen and Henn, 1972b) has summarized the past work on oculomotor relations of the brain stem reticular formation including information from lesion studies, electrical stimulation, and field potential analysis. These studies as a whole support the hypothesis that this region of the reticular formation, and in particular the medial pontine reticular formation (PRF), is the location of the immediate supranuclear neural structures responsible for generating conjugate horizontal rapid eye movements (saccades and the quick-phase movements of nystagmus). This review will concentrate on the additional support for this view that has accumulated in the form of single-unit recordings in alert animals, electrophysiological studies of synaptic connections, and detailed neuroanatomical tracing techniques. In addition some new data on functional interconnections of the PRF with the superior colliculus (SC), a higher visual-motor control center also implicated in the generation of saccades, will be presented.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Baker, R. and Berthoz, A. Organization of vestibular nystagmus in oblique oculomotor system. J. Neurophysiol. 37: 195–217, 1974.
Baker, R. Gresty, M. and Berthoz, A. Neuronal activity in the prepositus hypoglossi nucleus correlated with vertical and horizontal eye movement in the cat. Brain Res. 101: 366–371, 1975.
Baker, R. and Highstein, S. M. Physiological identification of interneurons and motoneurons in the abducens nucleus. Brain Res. 91: 292–298, 1975.
Barmack, N.H. Saccadic discharges evoked by intracellular stimulation of extraocular motoneurons. J. Neurophysiol. 37: 395–412, 1974.
Büttner-Ennever, J. A. and Henn, V. An autoradiographic study of the pathways from the pontine reticular formation involved in horizontal eye movements. Brain Res. 108: 155–164, 1976.
Cohen, R. and Henn, V. Unit activity in the pontine reticular formation associated with eye movements. Brain Res. 46: 403–410, 1972a.
Cohen, B. and Henn, V. The origin of the quick phases of nystagmus in the horizontal plane. In: Cerebral Control of Eye Movements and Motion Perception. Dichgans, J. and Bizzi, E. (eds). Biblo. Ophthal., 82: 36–55, Karger: Basel, 1972b.
Cohen, B., Komatsuzaki, A. and Bender, M. B. Electrooculographic syndrome in monkeys after pontine reticular formation lesions. Arch. Neurol. Chicago 18: 78–92, 1968.
Davis-King, W. M., Lisberger, S. G., Fuchs, A. F., and Evinger, L. C. Activity of simian MLF fibers related to eye movement and adequate vestibular stimulation. Neurosci. Abstr. 1: 185, 1975.
Fuchs, A. F. and Kimm, J. Unit activity in vestibular nucleus of the alert monkey during horizontal angular acceleration and eye movement., J. Neurophysiol. 38: 1140–1161, 1975.
Graybiel, A. M. Anatomical pathways in the brain stem oculomotor system. In: Eye Movements and Motion Perception, Ninth Symp. Center Visual Science, Rochester, N. Y., 1975.
Graybiel, A. M. and Hartwieg, E. A. Some afferent connections of the oculomotor complex in the cat: an experimental study with tracer techniques. Brain Res. 81: 543–551, 1974.
Renn, V. and Cohen, B. Quantitative analysis of activity in eye muscle motoneurons during saccadic eye movement and positions of fixation. J. Neurophysiol. 36: 115–126, 1973.
Henn, V. and Cohen, B. Coding of information about rapid eye movements in the pontine reticular formation of alert monkeys: Brain Res. 108: 307–325, 1976.
Highstein, S. M., and Cohen, B. and Matsunami, K. Monosynaptic projections from the pontine reticular formation to the IIIrd nucleus in the cat. Brain Res. 75: 340–344, 1974.
Kaneko, C. R. S., Steinacker, A., Cohen, B., Maciewicz, R. and Highstein, S. M. Synaptic linkage of the reticuloocular pathway in the cat. Neurosci. Abstr. 1: 349, 1975.
Keller, E. L. Participation of medial pontine reticular formation associated with eye movements. J. Neurophysiol. 37: 316–332, 1974.
Keller, E. L. and Daniels, P. D. Oculomotor related interaction of vestibular and visual stimulation in vestibular nucleus cells in alert monkey. Exptl. Neurol. 46: 187–198, 1975.
Keller, E. L. and Robinson, D. A. Absence of a stretch reflex in extraocular muscles of the monkey. J. Neurophysiol. 34: 908–919, 1971.
Luschei, E. S. and Fuchs, A. F. Activity of brain stem neurons during eye movements of alert monkeys. J. Neurophysiol. 35: 455–461, 1972.
Maeda, M., Shimazu, H., and Shinoda, Y. Nature of synaptic events in cat abducens motoneurons at slow and quick phase of vestibular nystagmus. J. Neurophysiol. 35: 279–296, 1972.
Miles, F. A. Single unit firing patterns in the vestibular nuclei related to voluntary eye movements and passive body rotation in conscious monkeys. Brain Res. 71: 215–224, 1974.
Olszewski, J. The cytoarchitecture of the human reticular formation. In: Brain Mechanisms and Consciousness. ed. Adrian, E. D., Bremer, F. and Jasper, M.H. pp. 54–80, Oxford: Blackwell, 1954.
Pola, J. MLF fiber activity in monkey during visually elicited and vestibular eye movement. Neurosci. Abstr. 1: 377.
Robinson, D. A. Oculomotor unit behavior in the monkey. J. Neurophysiol. 33: 393–404, 1970.
Robinson, D. A. Models of oculomotor neural organization. In: The Control of Eye Movements. ed. Bach-y-Rita, P. and Collins, C.C., pp. 519–538, New York: Academic, 1971.
Robinson, D. A. and Keller, E. L. The behavior of eye movement motoneurons in the later monkey. In Cerebral Control of Eye Movements and Motion Perception., Bibl. Ophthal. 82: 36–55, Basel: Karger.
Sasaki, K. Electrophysiological studies on oculomotor neurons of the cat. Jap. J. Physiol. 13: 287–302, 1963.
Sparks, D. L. and Travis, R. F. Firing patterns of reticular formation neurons during horizontal eye movements. Brain Res. 33: 477–481, 1971.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1977 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Keller, E.L. (1977). The Role of the Brain Stem Reticular Formation in Eye Movement Control. In: Brooks, B.A., Bajandas, F.J. (eds) Eye Movements. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-2424-9_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-2424-9_7
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-2426-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-2424-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive