Role of the MST-DLPN pathway in smooth pursuit adaptation

The smooth pursuit system is able to adapt to challenges associated with development or injury to maintain pursuit accuracy. The medial superior temporal (MST) cortex and dorsolateral pontine nucleus (DLPN) are major components of the cortico-ponto-cerebellar pathway that carries signals including eye and visual motion that could play a role in smooth pursuit adaptation. To test this possibility, we first studied the effects of unilateral DLPN inactivation on pursuit adaptation in two juvenile rhesus monkeys. In a second series of experiments, we examined the activity of the MSTd neurons during smooth pursuit adaptation. Our results indicate that smooth pursuit adaptation could depend, in part, on eye/visual motion information provided by the MST-DLPN pathway to cerebellum.