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Updated: May 26, 2026
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Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
Published on: March 18, 2019
Saccades during object viewing modulate oscillatory phase in the superior temporal sulcus
Adrian M Bartlett1, Shima Ovaysikia, Nikos K Logothetis
1Neuroscience Graduate Diploma Program, Department of Psychology, Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada.
Summary
Saccadic eye movements (SEMs) enhance object processing in the upper superior temporal sulcus (uSTS). Eye movements modulate neural activity, supporting active vision by boosting perception of objects during fixation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Visual Perception
- Primate Cognition
Background:
- Saccadic eye movements (SEMs) are crucial for visual information gating and perception in primates.
- Active vision relies on SEMs, causing suppression during saccades and enhancement during fixation in occipital areas.
- The role of eye movements in lateral temporal lobe visual areas, like the upper bank of the superior temporal sulcus (uSTS), remains unclear for object processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how saccades modulate local field potentials (LFPs) in the uSTS.
- To determine if the uSTS is sensitive to eye movements during object perception.
- To explore the neural basis of enhanced object processing during active vision.
Main Methods:
- Recorded local field potentials (LFPs) in the uSTS of macaque monkeys.
- Presented face and nonface object stimuli during saccadic eye movements.
- Analyzed LFP phase concentration in alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands.
- Examined single-unit activity in relation to LFP oscillations.
Main Results:
- LFP phase concentration increased in alpha, beta, and gamma bands after fixation onset, independent of image-evoked responses.
- Near-coincident fixation and image presentation enhanced responses via greater phase concentration.
- Single-unit activity was modulated by the phase of alpha, beta, and gamma oscillations, indicating phase-locking influences spike timing.
Conclusions:
- The uSTS demonstrates sensitivity to eye movements, particularly during active vision.
- Increased LFP phase concentration in specific frequency bands is a marker of enhanced visual processing.
- These findings provide a neural mechanism for how eye movements enhance object perception in the uSTS.
