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Fixational drift is driven by diffusive dynamics in central neural circuitry.

Nadav Ben-Shushan1, Nimrod Shaham1,2, Mati Joshua3

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Fixational eye drift originates from central brain circuits, not peripheral sources. This random eye motion provides insights into neural memory circuits essential for visual processing.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Ophthalmology
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • Fixational drift, a random eye motion during visual fixation, has an unknown origin.
  • Its role in visual processing is debated, with uncertainty regarding peripheral versus central neural sources.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the origin of fixational drift.
  • To investigate the link between fixational drift and neural activity.
  • To elucidate the role of central neural circuitry in eye movements.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of rhesus monkey ocular motoneuron (OMN) recordings and precise eye position measurements.
  • Statistical analysis of fixational eye drift.
  • Theoretical modeling of primate oculomotor system dynamics.

Main Results:

  • Fixational drift is correlated with neural activity upstream of OMNs.
  • Most variance in fixational drift originates from central neural circuitry.
  • Diffusive statistics suggest the oculomotor integrator is a likely source.

Conclusions:

  • Fixational drift originates in central neural circuitry, specifically the oculomotor integrator.
  • This finding offers a direct observation of diffusive dynamics in a neural memory circuit.
  • Understanding fixational drift's origin will advance knowledge of its role in visual processing and inference.