Our recent research has provided evidence concerning the major nervous system components and circuits which appear to be involved in mediating a visuomotor response which occurs in all vertebrates, optokinetic nystagmus (OKN). In the present proposal, a series of studies are described which will expand and refine our knowledge of the organization and interconnectivity of these neural structures, particularly their relationships with other brain regions involved in sensory-motor integration and the generation of motor response patterns. Ultimately, we are concerned with developing a detailed understanding of the fundamental organizational and functional framework within the nervous system which guides and controls a variety of visually guided behaviors in vertebrates. A thorough understanding of the neuroanatomical and physiological properties of these visual areas should precede, or at least, accompany, studies concerning the function roles of these regions. Anurans are eminently suited for investigations of visuomotor behaviors and their neural substrates. Impairment of these neural systems, which are found in all vertebrates, including Man, may lead to a wide variety of neurological disorders, from congenital nystagmus and oculomotor apraxia, to a variety of oculomotor and vestibular abnormalities for which adequate nerual models have yet to be described.
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