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Cortical development and saccade planning: the ontogeny of the spike potential
G Csibra1, L A Tucker, A Volein
1Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, School of Psychology, Birkbeck College, London, UK.
Insights
The spike potential, linked to eye movement planning, was found in 12-month-old infants. This suggests delayed cortical control over saccades during infant development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- The spike potential, a positive electrical signal in the brain, precedes voluntary eye movements (saccades) in adults.
- This potential is believed to reflect the cortical planning stages involved in initiating saccades.
- It has not been previously observed in young infants, leaving its developmental trajectory unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ontogeny of the spike potential.
- To determine if the spike potential is present in older infants (12 months).
- To understand the developmental timeline of cortical control over saccades.
Main Methods:
- Electrophysiological recordings were conducted on a group of 12-month-old infants.
- Eye movements and associated cortical activity were measured.
- The presence or absence of the spike potential preceding saccades was analyzed.
Main Results:
- The spike potential was successfully demonstrated in 12-month-old infants for the first time.
- The findings indicate that the neural mechanisms generating the spike potential are developing during infancy.
Conclusions:
- The presence of the spike potential in 12-month-old infants suggests a developing cortical contribution to saccade planning.
- This finding supports the hypothesis of a delayed onset of mature cortical control over saccades during human development.
Abstract:
The spike potential is a sharply timed positivity which precedes eye movements in adults, and is thought to indicate cortical planning of saccades. While the spike potential is observed under most conditions in adults, it has not been reported in young infants. In the present study we shed light on the ontogeny of the spike potential by demonstrating for the first time its existence in a group of older infants (12 months). This result is consistent with a relatively delayed onset of cortical control over saccades during development.