NEUROPHYSIOLOGY OF SACCADE ADAPTATION

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Adaptation of saccadic eye movements is necessary so that saccade accuracy can be maintained throughout life despite the changes caused by development, aging and trauma. The long-term objective of this grant is to study the possible role of the oculomotor vermis of the cerebellum in the adaptation process. We will approach this object with 3 sets of experiments. In the first, we will inactivate the vermis pharmacologically and determine the deficit in the behavioral adaptation of saccades to an intra-saccadic target step, which causes saccades to appear inaccurate. In the second, we will examine the behavior of simple spike activity in the Purkinje cells of the oculomotor vermis to determine how it changes during this behavioral adaptation. Finally, we will attempt to drive adaptation by stimulating the superior colliculus, which is the likely source of the error-related activity in the inferior olive. Because of the similarities of simian and human saccadic eye movement behavior, the results of this project should have considerable relevance in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with saccadic eye movement disorders.