Proactive control of sequential saccades in the human supplementary eye field

Sharika, KM and Neggers, Sebastiaan FW and Gutteling, Tjerk P and Van der Stigchel, Stefan and Dijkerman, Chris H and Murthy, Aditya (2013) Proactive control of sequential saccades in the human supplementary eye field. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 110 (14). E1311-E1320.

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Abstract

Our ability to regulate behavior based on past experience has thus far been examined using single movements. However, natural behavior typically involves a sequence of movements. Here, we examined the effect of previous trial type on the concurrent planning of sequential saccades using a unique paradigm. The task consisted of two trial types: no-shift trials, which implicitly encouraged the concurrent preparation of the second saccade in a subsequent trial; and target-shift trials, which implicitly discouraged the same in the next trial. Using the intersaccadic interval as an index of concurrent planning, we found evidence for context-based preparation of sequential saccades. We also used functional MRI-guided, single-pulse, transcranial magnetic stimulation on human subjects to test the role of the supplementary eye field (SEF) in the proactive control of sequential eye movements. Results showed that (i) stimulating the SEF in the previous trial disrupted the previous trial type-based preparation of the second saccade in the nonstimulated current trial, (ii) stimulating the SEF in the current trial rectified the disruptive effect caused by stimulation in the previous trial, and (iii) stimulating the SEF facilitated the preparation of second saccades based on previous trial type even when the previous trial was not stimulated. Taken together, we show how the human SEF is causally involved in proactive preparation of sequential saccades.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Publisher:	National Academy of Sciences
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to National Academy of Sciences.
Keywords:	Performance Monitoring; Delayed Saccade Double-Step Task; Oculomotor; Parallel Programming; Cognitive Control
Department/Centre:	Division of Biological Sciences > Centre for Neuroscience
Date Deposited:	10 Jun 2013 08:13
Last Modified:	10 Jun 2013 08:13
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/46653

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