A Causal Role for the Cortical Frontal Eye Fields in Microsaccade Deployment

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Ophthalmology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Microsaccades are essential for visual sampling and scene perception.
• No cortical area was previously linked to the generation of microsaccades.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of the frontal eye fields (FEF) in microsaccade generation.
• To determine if the FEF provides cortical drive for microsaccades.

Main Methods:

• Unilateral and bilateral reversible inactivation of the frontal eye fields (FEF) in a model system.
• Analysis of microsaccade metrics, kinematics, and deployment following peripheral cue presentation.

Main Results:

• FEF inactivation significantly altered microsaccade metrics and kinematics.
• Inactivation impaired microsaccade deployment after peripheral cue onset, irrespective of cue side.
• This effect was observed regardless of whether inactivation was unilateral or bilateral.

Conclusions:

• The frontal eye fields (FEF) provide critical top-down cortical drive for microsaccade generation.
• FEF plays a key role in the recovery of microsaccades after disruption by sensory stimuli.
• This study provides the first direct evidence implicating a cortical area in microsaccade generation and its cognitive control.