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Effects of gaze on apparent visual responses of frontal cortex neurons

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Abstract

Previous reports have argued that single neurons in the ventral premotor cortex of rhesus monkeys (PMv, the ventrolateral part of Brodmann's area 6) typically show spatial response fields that are independent of gaze angle. We reinvestigated this issue for PMv and also explored the adjacent prearcuate cortex (PAv, areas 12 and 45). Two rhesus monkeys were operantly conditioned to press a switch and maintain fixation on a small visual stimulus (0.2° × 0.2°) while a second visual stimulus (1° × 1° or 2° × 2°) appeared at one of several possible locations on a video screen. When the second stimulus dimmed, after an unpredictable period of 0.4–1.2s, the monkey had to quickly release the switch to receive liquid reinforcement. By presenting stimuli at fixed screen locations and varying the location of the fixation point, we could determine whether single neurons encode stimulus location in “absolute space” or any other coordinate system independent of gaze. For the vast majority of neurons in both PMv (90%) and PAv (94%), the apparent response to a stimulus at a given screen location varied significantly and dramatically with gaze angle. Thus, we found little evidence for gaze-independent activity in either PMv or PAv neurons. The present result in frontal cortex resembles that in posterior parietal cortex, where both retinal image location and eye position affect responsiveness to visual stimuli.

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Author notes

  1. Driss Boussaoud

    Present address: INSERM Unité 94, 16, Avenue du Doyen Lépine, F-69500, Bron, France

  2. Timothy M. Barth

    Present address: Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, 76129, Fort Worth, TX, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health, P.O. Box 289, 20837, Poolesville, MD, USA

    Driss Boussaoud, Timothy M. Barth & Steven P. Wise

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  1. Driss Boussaoud
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  2. Timothy M. Barth
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  3. Steven P. Wise
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Boussaoud, D., Barth, T.M. & Wise, S.P. Effects of gaze on apparent visual responses of frontal cortex neurons. Exp Brain Res 93, 423–434 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00229358

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00229358

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