Correction of saccadic decisions during active visual search in the monkey

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Two-saccade sequences, including ultra-short-latency (USL) second saccades, are observed in tasks with salient targets.
• USL saccades correct erroneous initial saccades using pre-existing visual information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the occurrence and properties of USL saccades in active visual search without salient targets.
• To determine the accuracy of target selection and information transfer across saccades in active search.

Main Methods:

• Monkeys performed active visual search tasks without a popout target.
• Analysis of saccade sequences, focusing on USL saccades and their accuracy.
• Comparison of USL saccades with regular-latency saccades.

Main Results:

• USL saccades frequently occur in active visual search, not just with salient targets.
• USL saccades are preferentially directed towards the search target.
• Information transfer for target selection and location across the first saccade is highly accurate.
• USL saccades exhibit higher accuracy in foveating the target compared to regular-latency saccades, especially when starting far from the target.

Conclusions:

• USL saccades play a significant role in error correction during active visual search.
• The findings suggest accurate computations in visual/oculomotor priority maps guide saccadic targeting and information transfer.
• This research advances the understanding of saccadic behavior and error processing in vision.