Saccades induced electrically from the dorsomedial frontal cortex: evidence for a head-centered representation

The amplitude and direction of saccadic eye movements evoked electrically from the dorsomedial frontal cortex (DMFC) of monkeys vary with starting eye position. This observation has been used to argue that the DMFC codes saccadic eye movements in head-centered coordinates. Whether the amplitude and direction of the evoked saccades are also affected by changes in head position has never been demonstrated. Such a result would argue against a head-centered representation, and instead would suggest a representation anchored to another body part. Tests were conducted on rhesus monkeys to determine whether changing the position of the head with respect to the trunk or changing the position of the head with respect to the gravitational axis alters saccadic parameters. The amplitude and direction of saccadic eye movements remained invariant to such manipulations. These findings confirm the claim that the DMFC encodes saccadic eye movements in head-centered coordinates.