Eye position-sensitive units in hippocampal formation and in inferotemporal cortex of the macaque monkey

The activity of 330 hippocampal and inferotemporal cells was recorded while seated monkeys with fixed heads worked in a visual discrimination task. Monkeys had to move their eyes to one of five different positions to maintain gaze on an image. The image was then extinguished and the monkeys maintained a fixed gaze on the target position in darkness to obtain a reward. The five positions of image presentation were on a horizontal line, consisting of a centre position and lateral positions which were 10 and 20 degrees right and left of it. Twenty-two per cent of single units recorded from the hippocampus showed statistically significant sensitivity to target position in complete darkness. A similar fraction (23%) was significantly affected by target position in the light. Position sensitivity was also found among cells recorded from the inferotemporal cortex. Eye position significantly influenced the activity of 19% of inferotemporal units in darkness and 28% of inferotemporal units in the light. Interestingly, the populations of cells showing position effect in the light and in darkness were independent.