Vector inversion diminishes the online control of antisaccades

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Oculomotor Research

Background:

• Antisaccades involve response suppression and vector inversion.
• Previous research suggests differences in online control between pro- and antisaccades.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether response suppression, vector inversion, or both explain online control differences in pro- and antisaccades.
• To determine the role of intentional vector inversion in disrupting normal saccade control.

Main Methods:

• Participants performed pro- and antisaccades in blocked and random schedules.
• Online saccade trajectory control was assessed using R² values, representing variance explained by eye position at different saccade stages.
• R² values indicate the degree of online feedback utilization for trajectory amendments.

Main Results:

• Antisaccades consistently showed higher R² values than prosaccades across all saccade trajectory stages.
• This effect persisted irrespective of whether response suppression was equated between tasks.
• Larger R² values for antisaccades indicate reduced online control compared to prosaccades.

Conclusions:

• Intentional vector inversion in antisaccades disrupts normal online saccade control.
• Antisaccade control is less optimized for error reduction through trajectory amendments.
• Vector inversion, rather than response suppression, is the key factor underlying observed online control differences.