Cortical control of eye movements

Olivia Rutler, Christopher Driscoll, Sarah E. Stella, Serena Persaud, Michael E. Goldberg

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Eye movements in humans and non-human primates move the fovea, the most sensitive part of the retina, to the current object of interest. Saccades rapidly shift the fovea from the current object of interest to a new one. Smooth pursuit keeps the fovea on a moving object. Unlike the skeletal musculature, the basic anatomy of the oculomotor system has remained stable throughout vertebral evolution, and the cortex does not control the kinematics of eye movements. Instead, the cortex decides when and where to move the eyes. This review describes the frontal and parietal areas which control saccades, and the frontal and middle temporal areas which control pursuit.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEncyclopedia of the Human Brain, Second Edition
Subtitle of host publicationVolumes 1-5
PublisherElsevier
PagesV1-666-V1-680
ISBN (Electronic)9780128204818
ISBN (Print)9780128204801
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 1 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • General Medicine
  • General Neuroscience

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Rutler, O., Driscoll, C., Stella, S. E., Persaud, S., & Goldberg, M. E. (2024). Cortical control of eye movements. In Encyclopedia of the Human Brain, Second Edition: Volumes 1-5 (pp. V1-666-V1-680). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-820480-1.00086-3