Brief Communication abstract
Nature Neuroscience 11, 13 - 15 (2008)
Published online: 2 December 2007 | doi:10.1038/nn2023
Neuromuscular consequences of reflexive covert orienting
Brian D Corneil1,2,5, Douglas P Munoz3,5, Brendan B Chapman2, Tania Admans1 & Sharon L Cushing4
Visual stimulus presentation activates the oculomotor network without requiring a gaze shift. Here, we demonstrate that primate neck muscles are recruited during such reflexive covert orienting in a manner that parallels activity recorded from the superior colliculus (SC). Our results indicate the presence of a brainstem circuit whereby reflexive covert orienting is prevented from shifting gaze, but recruits neck muscles, predicting that similarities between SC and neck muscle activity should extend to other cognitive processes that are known to influence SC activity.
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Group on Action and Perception, Departments of Physiology & Pharmacology, and Psychology, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada.
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5C1, Canada.
- CIHR Group in Sensory-Motor Systems, Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Departments of Physiology, Psychology and Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, 190 Elizabeth Street, Room 3S438, Fraser Elliot Building, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2N2, Canada.
- These authors contributed equally to this work.
Correspondence to: Brian D Corneil1,2,5 e-mail: bcorneil@uwo.ca
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