This proposal outlines an experimental examination of the role of the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) in the planning and initiation of saccadic eye movements. The SNr has been implicated as an input to the collicular-pontine saccadic control system, but the precise nature of the saccade-related signals in the SNr and their role in the regulation and/or generation of saccade-related signals in the superior colliculus has not been fully investigated. The proposed research will use extracellular electrophysiological recording from the SNr of awake- behaving monkeys to determine which aspects of the movement process are correlated with signals carried by single SNr units and whether those signals have appropriate characteristics to serve as direct precursors to collicular units carrying saccade-related signals.
| Bayer, Hannah M; Handel, Ari; Glimcher, Paul W (2004) Eye position and memory saccade related responses in substantia nigra pars reticulata. Exp Brain Res 154:428-41 |
| Handel, A; Glimcher, P W (2000) Contextual modulation of substantia nigra pars reticulata neurons. J Neurophysiol 83:3042-8 |
| Handel, A; Glimcher, P W (1999) Quantitative analysis of substantia nigra pars reticulata activity during a visually guided saccade task. J Neurophysiol 82:3458-75 |
| Handel, A; Glimcher, P W (1997) Response properties of saccade-related burst neurons in the central mesencephalic reticular formation. J Neurophysiol 78:2164-75 |
