Neurophysiology of gaze orientation: Core neuronal networks

Abstract

The appearance of an object triggers a shift of gaze toward its location. This orienting response consists of a rapid rotation of the eyes, the saccade, sometimes accompanied by a head rotation. In this chapter, instead of describing the path leading from the target-evoked retinal activity to the changes in muscle tension, we shall take the reverse path. Starting from the muscle contractions, we shall proceed upstream and describe the core neuronal networks in the brainstem and cerebellum that enable us to rapidly and accurately orient the foveae towards visual targets located at different eccentricities and depths.