Cortical Planning and Control of Smooth Pursuit

描述(由申请者提供)：我们的目标是了解额叶皮质如何控制顺畅的追逐眼球运动。以前的工作已经阐明了与反身性追逐有关的其他区域。然而，当认知介入时，额叶回路可能参与其中。我们开发了一种追踪GO/NOGO范式，该范式利用额叶损伤患者经常缺乏的认知功能，如规则编码、集合转移和决策，努力区分额叶结构在追踪控制中的功能。辅助眼场(SEF)和额叶眼场(FEF)在实验过程中都有不同程度的激活，我们在人类的fMRI结果和猴的初步单单位数据表明，腹外侧额叶皮质(VLPFC)也是不同的激活区域。我们建议在规则的背景下确定这些区域在决定执行或阻止追捕运动时如何相互作用。目标是：1)表征基于规则的动眼运动的SEF和FEF编码决策2)调查SEF和FEF参与基于规则的When信号的演变3)确定VLPFC在心理定势转换公共卫生相关性中的作用我们的研究将提供对正常动眼系统中认知动眼功能基础的神经通路的洞察，以便能够诊断有认知障碍的患者的额叶皮质损伤。我们还做了功能磁共振成像工作，以提供猴子和人类大脑区域之间的联系。这项工作应该有助于将我们的刺激转化为诊断过程中的使用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Our goal is to understand how frontal cortex controls smooth pursuit eye movements. Previous work has elucidated other regions involved in reflexive pursuit. However, when cognition intervenes, frontal lobe circuitry likely participates. We have developed a pursuit go/nogo paradigm that exploits cognitive functions often deficient in patients with frontal lobe damage, such as rule encoding, set shifting and decision making, in an effort to differentiate functions of frontal structures in pursuit control. Both the supplementary eye field (SEF) and frontal eye field (FEF) are differentially active during the paradigm, and our fMRI results in humans and preliminary single-unit data in monkey suggest that ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) is also. We propose to determine how these regions interact in the decision to execute or withhold a pursuit movement in the context of a rule. Aims are: 1) Characterize SEF and FEF encoding of a rule-based oculomotor "if" decision 2) Investigate SEF and FEF involvement in the evolution of a rule-based "when" signal 3) Determine the role of the VLPFC in mental set-switching PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE Our research will provide insight into the neuronal pathways that underlie cognitive oculomotor function in the normal oculomotor system, to allow diagnosis of frontal cortical damage in patients who have cognitive disorders. We have also done fMRI work to provide a linkage between monkey and human brain regions. This work should aid in translating our stimuli towards use in the diagnosis process.