Skip to main content
Log in

Vertical eye movements related signals in antidromically identified medullary reticular formation neurons in the alert cat

  • Published:
Experimental Brain Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Short and long lead burst neurons antidromically activated from the rostral mesencephalic reticular formation, and synaptically activated from the contralateral superior colliculus were recorded in the medullary reticular formation underlying the prepositus hypoglossi nucleus. These neurons were shown to be related to vertical eye movements, ranging from pure vertical to oblique planes. Vertical saccade coding was similar to that of horizontal short lead pontine cells. The presence of vertical short and long lead burst neurons in the medullary reticular formation raises new questions about the organization of the control of eye movements in the vertical plane.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baker R, Berthoz A, Delgado-García JM (1977) Monosynaptic excitation of trochlear motoneurons following electrical stimulation of the prepositus hypoglossi nucleus. Brain Res 121: 157–161

    Google Scholar 

  • Berthoz A, Grantyn A (1986) Neuronal mechanisms underlying eye-head coordination. In: Freund HJ, Büttner U, Cohen B, Neth J (eds) Progress in brain research, Vol 64. Elsevier, North/Holland New York, pp 325–343

    Google Scholar 

  • Berthoz A, Grantyn A, Dreoulez J (1986) Some collicular efferents neurons code saccadic eye velocity. Neurosci Lett 72: 289–294

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Büttner U, Büttner-Ennever JA, Henn V (1977) Vertical eye movement related unit activity in the rostral mesencephalic reticular formation of the alert monkey. Brain Res 130: 239–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Delgado-García JM, del Pozo F, Baker R (1986) Behavior of neurons in the abducens nucleus of the alert cat. I. Motoneurons. Neuroscience 17: 929–953

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuchs AF, Kaneko CRS, Scudder CA (1985) Brainstem control of saccadic eye movements. Ann Rev Neurosci 8: 307–337

    Google Scholar 

  • Graybiel AM (1977) Organization of oculomotor pathways in the cat and rhesus monkey. In: Berthoz A, Baker R (eds) Control of gaze by brainstem neurons. Elsevier, North/Holland New York, pp 79–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Hepp K, Henn V (1983) Spatio-temporal recording of rapid eye movement signals in the monkey paramedian pontine reticular formation. Exp Brain Res 52: 105–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaneko CRS, Fuchs AF (1981) Inhibitory burst neurons in alert trained cats: comparison with excitatory burst neurons and functional implications. In: Fuchs AF, Becker W (eds) Progress in oculomotor research. Elsevier, North/Holland New York, pp 63–70

    Google Scholar 

  • King WM, Fuchs AF (1979) Reticular control of vertical saccadic eye movements by mesencephalic burst neurons. J Neurophysiol 42: 861–876

    Google Scholar 

  • King WM, Fuchs AF, Magnin M (1981) Vertical eye movement-related responses of neurons in mid brain near interstitial nucleus of Cajal. J Neurophysiol 46: 549–562

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kömpf D, Pasik T, Pasik P, Bender M (1979) Downward gaze in monkey. Stimulation and lesion studies. Brain 102: 527–558

    Google Scholar 

  • López-Barneo J, Ribas J, Delgado-García JM (1981) Identification of prepositus neurons projecting to the oculomotor nucleus in the alert cat. Brain Res 214: 174–179

    Google Scholar 

  • López-Barneo J, Darlot C, Berthoz A, Baker R (1982) Neuronal activity in prepositus nucleus correlated with eye movement in the alert cat. J Neurophysiol 47: 329–352

    Google Scholar 

  • Luschei ES, Fuchs AF (1972) Activity of brainstem neurons during eye movements of alert monkeys. J Neurophysiol 35: 445–461

    Google Scholar 

  • McCrea RA, Baker R (1985) Anatomical connections of the nucleus prepositus of the cat. J Comp Neurol 237: 377–407

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakao S, Shiraishi Y, Oikawa T (1986) Vertical eye movement related neurons in the cat mesodiencephalic junction: firing pattern, location and projection to oculomotor and trochlear nuclei. In: Developments in oculomotor research. Satellite meeting to the XXX International Congress of the I.U.P.S., Gleneden Beach, Oregon, WP-22

  • Peterson BW (1977) Identification of reticulospinal projections that may participate in gaze control. In: Baker R, Berthoz A (eds) Control of gaze by brainstem neurons. Elsevier, North/Holland New York, pp 143–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Roucoux A, Crommelinck M, Guitton D (1981) The role of superior colliculus in the generation of gaze shift. In: Fuchs AF, Becker, W (eds) Progress in oculomotor research, developments in neuroscience, Vol 12. Elsevier, North/Holland, New York, pp 129–135

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ (1981) Biometry. WH Freeman and Company, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Strassman A, Highstein SM, McCrea RA (1986) Anatomy and physiology of saccadic burst neurons in the alert squirrel monkey. II. Inhibitory burst neurons. J Comp Neurol 249: 358–380

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Gisbergen JAM, Robinson DA, Gielen S (1981) A quantitative analysis of generation of saccadic eye movements by burst neurons. J Neurophysiol 45: 417–442

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshida K, McCrea R, Berthoz A, Vidal PP (1982) Morphological and physiological characteristics of inhibitory burst neurons controlling horizontal rapid eye movements in the alert cat. J Neurophysiol 48: 761–784

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Delgado-García, J.M., Vidal, P.P., Gómez, C. et al. Vertical eye movements related signals in antidromically identified medullary reticular formation neurons in the alert cat. Exp Brain Res 70, 585–589 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00247606

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00247606

Key words

Navigation