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Eye-head coupling in humans. II. Phasic components.

C André-Deshays1, M Revel, A Berthoz

  • 1Laboratoire de Physiologie Neurosensorielle, LP02, C.N.R.S., Paris, France.

Experimental Brain Research
|January 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary
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Researchers found that dorsal neck muscles, like the splenius, show specific firing patterns during eye movements. This reveals a phasic eye-head synergy during saccades, not just during fixation.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Ophthalmology

Background:

  • A tonic coupling exists between eye position and dorsal neck muscle activity in humans and animals.
  • A transient, saccade-related coupling has been observed in animals, but not extensively studied in humans.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the phasic component of human eye-head synergy during saccadic eye movements.
  • To record and analyze the activity of individual motor units in the splenius muscle during horizontal eye movements.

Main Methods:

  • Recorded activity of isolated motor units in the splenius muscle using Bronks coaxial electrodes.
  • Performed eye movement recording via conventional binocular electro-oculography.
  • Subjects were head-fixed during large horizontal eye movements.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Identified two motor unit discharge patterns in the splenius muscle (SPMU).
  • Type A SPMUs (14 units) exhibited phasic modulation during saccades: pre-saccadic suppression, per-saccadic burst, and post-saccadic tonic discharge.
  • Type B SPMUs (6 units) showed minimal modulation during fixation or saccades.

Conclusions:

  • Eye-head coupling occurs during both fixation and saccadic eye movements in humans.
  • Dorsal neck muscles display phasic activity or suppression related to saccadic eye velocity, indicating a dynamic eye-head synergy.