Microsaccades and the Velocity-Amplitude Relationship for Saccadic Eye Movements

Zuber, B. L.; Stark, Lawrence; Cook, Gerald

doi:10.1126/science.150.3702.1459

Cited by 310 publications

(248 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…We confirmed a linear relation between both parameters (Fig. 1 B) (r ϭ 0.812, p Ͻ 0.01, t ϭ 382) (Zuber and Stark, 1965;Bair and O'Keefe, 1998;Martinez-Conde et al, 2000, 2006Hafed et al, 2009).…”

Section: Identification and Temporal Distribution Of Microsaccadessupporting

confidence: 71%

“…Of this group, we excluded MSs with amplitudes smaller than the 5th percentile of the amplitude distribution or larger than the 95th percentile. To confirm that the correspondingly selected eye movements were MSs, we additionally tested for the well described linear relationship between peak velocity and amplitude of the MS (Zuber and Stark, 1965).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Microsaccadic Rhythm Modulates Gamma-Band Synchronization and Behavior

Bosman

Womelsdorf²,

Desimone³

et al. 2009

J. Neurosci.

211

260

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Rhythms occur both in neuronal activity and in behavior. Behavioral rhythms abound at frequencies at or below 10 Hz. Neuronal rhythms cover a very wide frequency range, and the phase of neuronal low-frequency rhythms often rhythmically modulates the strength of higher-frequency rhythms, particularly of gamma-band synchronization (GBS). Here, we study stimulus-induced GBS in awake monkey areas V1 and V4 in relation to a specific form of spontaneous behavior, namely microsaccades (MSs), small fixational eye movements. We found that MSs occur rhythmically at a frequency of ϳ3.3 Hz. The rhythmic MSs were predicted by the phase of the 3.3 Hz rhythm in V1 and V4 local field potentials. In turn, the MSs modulated both visually induced GBS and the speed of visually triggered behavioral responses. Fast/slow responses were preceded by a specific temporal pattern of MSs. These MS patterns induced perturbations in GBS that in turn explained variability in behavioral response speed. We hypothesize that the 3.3 Hz rhythm structures the sampling and exploration of the environment through building and breaking neuronal ensembles synchronized in the gamma-frequency band to process sensory stimuli.

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Section: Identification and Temporal Distribution Of Microsaccadessupporting

confidence: 71%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Microsaccadic Rhythm Modulates Gamma-Band Synchronization and Behavior

Bosman

Womelsdorf²,

Desimone³

et al. 2009

J. Neurosci.

211

260

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…First, microsaccades are defined as binocular eye movements with almost identical amplitudes and directions in both eyes (Ditchburn and Ginsborg 1953;Krauskopf et al 1960;Lord 1951), pointing at a central rather than a peripheral nervous origin. Second, both microsaccades and large-scale saccades fall on the main sequence (Zuber et al 1965), i.e., the relationship between peak velocity and amplitude in these movements follows a power law. Thus, although the neurophysiological origin of microsaccades is still unknown, it is reasonable to assume a common neural circuitry for the generation of microsaccades and saccades (see also Engbert 2005).…”

Section: Prolongation Of Saccade Latencies Following Microsaccadesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Microsaccades' binocularity (Ditchburn and Ginsborg 1953;Krauskopf et al 1960;Lord 1951), involuntary occurrence (Ditchburn and Ginsborg 1953;Ratliff and Riggs 1950), and shared kinematic characteristics with large-scale saccades (Zuber et al 1965) hint at common subcortical mechanisms for the generation of both types of movements (see also discussion). A likely neural correlate of microsaccade generation is the rostral pole of the superior colliculus (SC), a brainstem structure critically involved in the control of saccades and fixations (see Munoz et al 2000, Scudder et al 2002, and Sparks 2002, for reviews).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Shortening and prolongation of saccade latencies following microsaccades

2005

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When the eyes fixate at a point in a visual scene, small saccades rapidly shift the image on the retina. The effect of these microsaccades on the latency of subsequent large-scale saccades may be twofold. First, microsaccades are associated with an enhancement of visual perception.Their occurrence during saccade target perception should, thus, decrease saccade latencies. On the other hand, microsaccades likely indicate activity in fixation-related oculomotor neurons. These represent competitors to saccade-related cells in the interplay of gaze holding and shifting.Consequently, an increase in saccade latencies after microsaccades would be expected. Here, we present evidence for both aspects of microsaccadic impact on saccade latency. In a delayed response task, participants made saccades to visible or memorized targets. First, microsaccade occurrence up to 50 ms before target disappearance correlated with 18 ms (or 8%) faster saccades to memorized targets. Second, if microsaccades occurred shortly (i.e., < 150 ms) before a saccade was required, saccadic reaction times in visual and memory trials were increased by about 40 ms (or 16%). Hence, microsaccades can have opposite consequences for saccade latencies, pointing at a differential role of these fixational eye movements in preparation of motor programs.

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“…Microsaccades are rapid, small-amplitude eye movements that are generated involuntarily during visual fixation (Barlow, 1952;Zuber et al, 1965;Steinman et al, 1973). The function of microsaccades for vision has been investigated extensively (MartinezConde et al, 2006;Rucci et al, 2007;Hafed, 2011; for review, see Martinez-Conde et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Computational Modeling of Collicular Integration of Perceptual Responses and Attention in Microsaccades

Engbert

2012

Journal of Neuroscience

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During visual fixation on a target object, our eyes are not motionless but generate slow fixational eye movements and microsaccades. Effects of visual attention have been observed in both microsaccade rates and spatial directions. Experimental results, however, range from early (Ͻ200 ms) to late (Ͼ600 ms) effects combined with cue-congruent as well as cue-incongruent microsaccade directions. On the basis of well characterized neural circuitry in superior colliculus, we construct a dynamical model of neural activation that is modulated by perceptual input and visual attention. Our results show that additive integration of low-level perceptual responses and visual attention can explain microsaccade rate and direction effects across a range of visual cueing tasks. These findings suggest that the patterns of microsaccade direction observed in experiments are compatible with a single dynamical mechanism. The basic principles of the model are highly relevant to the general problem of integration of low-level perception and top-down selective attention.

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Microsaccades and the Velocity-Amplitude Relationship for Saccadic Eye Movements

Cited by 310 publications

References 2 publications

A Microsaccadic Rhythm Modulates Gamma-Band Synchronization and Behavior

A Microsaccadic Rhythm Modulates Gamma-Band Synchronization and Behavior

Shortening and prolongation of saccade latencies following microsaccades

Computational Modeling of Collicular Integration of Perceptual Responses and Attention in Microsaccades

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