Higher control mechanisms of saccadic eye movements

The higher control of saccadic eye movements depends on a complex interaction between a number of different neural centres. Inputs from the frontal eye field and superior colliculus both project to the brainstem and appear to provide parallel and interacting inputs. The former is more concerned with voluntary shifts of gaze, whereas the latter mediates involuntary reflexive gaze shifts to suddenly appearing visual stimuli. The basal ganglia through the substantia nigra, pars reticularis has direct inputs to the colliculus and appears to have a gating role. These concepts, derived from experimental studies on primates, are discussed in relation to clinical material.