New ideas about binocular coordination of eye movements: Is there a chameleon in the primate family tree?

Abstract

Many animals with laterally placed eyes, such as chameleons, move their eyes independently of one another. In contrast, primates with frontally placed eyes and binocular vision must move them together so that both eyes are aimed at the same point in visual space. Is binocular coordination an innate feature of how our brains are wired, or have we simply learned to move our eyes together? This question sparked a controversy in the 19th century between two eminent German scientists, Ewald Hering and Hermann von Helmholtz. Hering took the position that binocular coordination was innate and vigorously challenged von Helmholtz's view that it was learned. Hering won the argument and his hypothesis, known as Hering's Law of Equal Innervation, became generally accepted. New evidence suggests, however, that similar to chameleons, primates may program movements of each eye independently. Binocular coordination is achieved by a neural network at the motor periphery comprised of motoneurons and specialized interneurons located near or in the cranial nerve nuclei that innervate the extraocular muscles. It is assumed that this network must be trained and calibrated during infancy and probably throughout life in order to maintain the precise binocular coordination characteristic of primate eye movements despite growth, aging effects, and injuries to the eye movement neuromuscular system. Malfunction of this network or its ability to adaptively learn may be a contributing cause of strabismus. Anat Rec (New Anat) 261:153–161, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

A personalized eye-tracking system reveals complex state-dependent visual acquisition in lizards

“…2f). This regime is consistent with proposals that monocular and conjugate saccades may arise from the same control architecture, with coupling strength being a tunable parameter 70 . In this view, monocular independence and binocular conjugacy represent endpoints of a shared control space, with coordination varying by context.…”

A personalized eye-tracking system reveals complex state-dependent visual acquisition in lizards

“…2f). This regime is consistent with proposals that monocular and conjugate saccades may arise from the same control architecture, with coupling strength being a tunable parameter 70 . In this view, monocular independence and binocular conjugacy represent endpoints of a shared control space, with coordination varying by context.…”

Functional architecture underlying binocular coordination of eye position and velocity in the larval zebrafish hindbrain

“…The results presented in Fig. 4d, and other publications [36], indicate that the responsivity of neurons is graded. The oculomotor neuron population forms gradients within the parameter space spanned by the regressors used in our response type classification.…”

Is Primate Lens Accommodation Unilaterally or Bilaterally Controlled?

“…These studies indicate that the majority of neurons in the PPRF and nPH are actually uniocular, that is, most of their firing is related to changes in the position of one eye, not the other. 4 , 29 , 30 – 32 A similar pattern was observed within the motoneurons and the internuclear neurons of the abducens nucleus. 4 , 33 Particularly noteworthy is the finding that premotor neurons in the PPRF modulate their firing with respect to eye position during vertical vergence, 34 because it suggests that this region is not just involved in conjugate horizontal gaze.…”

A personalized eye-tracking system reveals complex state-dependent visual acquisition in lizards

“…2f). This regime is consistent with proposals that monocular and conjugate saccades may arise from the same control architecture, with coupling strength being a tunable parameter 70 . In this view, monocular independence and binocular conjugacy represent endpoints of a shared control space, with coordination varying by context.…”

Functional architecture underlying binocular coordination of eye position and velocity in the larval zebrafish hindbrain

“…The results presented in Fig. 4d, and other publications [36], indicate that the responsivity of neurons is graded. The oculomotor neuron population forms gradients within the parameter space spanned by the regressors used in our response type classification.…”

Is Primate Lens Accommodation Unilaterally or Bilaterally Controlled?

“…These studies indicate that the majority of neurons in the PPRF and nPH are actually uniocular, that is, most of their firing is related to changes in the position of one eye, not the other. 4 , 29 , 30 – 32 A similar pattern was observed within the motoneurons and the internuclear neurons of the abducens nucleus. 4 , 33 Particularly noteworthy is the finding that premotor neurons in the PPRF modulate their firing with respect to eye position during vertical vergence, 34 because it suggests that this region is not just involved in conjugate horizontal gaze.…”

A personalized eye-tracking system reveals complex state-dependent visual acquisition in lizards

“…2f). This regime is consistent with proposals that monocular and conjugate saccades may arise from the same control architecture, with coupling strength being a tunable parameter 70 . In this view, monocular independence and binocular conjugacy represent endpoints of a shared control space, with coordination varying by context.…”

Functional architecture underlying binocular coordination of eye position and velocity in the larval zebrafish hindbrain

“…The results presented in Fig. 4d, and other publications [36], indicate that the responsivity of neurons is graded. The oculomotor neuron population forms gradients within the parameter space spanned by the regressors used in our response type classification.…”

Is Primate Lens Accommodation Unilaterally or Bilaterally Controlled?

“…These studies indicate that the majority of neurons in the PPRF and nPH are actually uniocular, that is, most of their firing is related to changes in the position of one eye, not the other. 4 , 29 , 30 – 32 A similar pattern was observed within the motoneurons and the internuclear neurons of the abducens nucleus. 4 , 33 Particularly noteworthy is the finding that premotor neurons in the PPRF modulate their firing with respect to eye position during vertical vergence, 34 because it suggests that this region is not just involved in conjugate horizontal gaze.…”