Smooth pursuit eye movements with imaginary targets defined by extrafoveal cues

Initiation of smooth pursuit eye movements was studied using imaginary targets defined by pairs of small spots ("cues") moving together in step-ramp motion. The arrangement of cues and imaginary target were either "two-sided"--cues far apart and imaginary target midway between, or "one-sided"--cues 4 deg apart and imaginary target to one side of the cue pair. (1) Pursuit of two-sided stimuli was much better than pursuit of one-sided stimuli and was often as good as pursuit of a real foveal target. (2) Experiments with various cue configurations suggest an attribute required for vigorous pursuit: "foveal enclosure". Configuration information is available to the pursuit system immediately after the onset of motion. (3) Pursuit of imaginary targets is markedly degraded by a background; the effect is strongest for a background at the fovea and weaker for an eccentric background, including one at the cue location.