Journal article

Publication year: 2016

Pages: 2586-2593

Journal: Journal of Neurophysiology

Volume number: 116

Issue number: 6

ISSN: 0022-3077

eISSN: 1522-1598

Open access status: Green

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00574.2016

Publisher: American Physiological Society

Abstract: 
When human observers track the movements of their own hand with their gaze, the eyes can start moving before the finger (i.e., anticipatory smooth pursuit). The signals driving anticipation could come from motor commands during finger motor execution or from motor intention and decision processes associated with self-initiated movements. For the present study, we built a mechanical device that could move a visual target either in the same direction as the participant's hand or in the opposite direction. Gaze pursuit of the target showed stronger anticipation if it moved in the same direction as the hand compared with the opposite direction, as evidenced by decreased pursuit latency, increased positional lead of the eye relative to target, increased pursuit gain, decreased saccade rate, and decreased delay at the movement reversal. Some degree of anticipation occurred for incongruent pursuit, indicating that there is a role for higher-level movement prediction in pursuit anticipation. The fact that anticipation was larger when target and finger moved in the same direction provides evidence for a direct coupling between finger and eye motor commands.

Harvard Citation style: Chen, J., Valsecchi, M. and Gegenfurtner, K. (2016) Role of motor execution in the ocular tracking of self-generated movements, Journal of Neurophysiology, 116(6), pp. 2586-2593. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00574.2016

APA Citation style: Chen, J., Valsecchi, M., & Gegenfurtner, K. (2016). Role of motor execution in the ocular tracking of self-generated movements. Journal of Neurophysiology. 116(6), 2586-2593. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00574.2016