Commentary: Smooth pursuit eye movements: from low-level to high-level vision

Abstract

If an object of great interest moves in our environment, we are able to elicit smooth pursuit eye movements that keep the image of the moving object stationary on our fovea. The processing of visual motion underlying the execution of smooth pursuit eye movements is very similar to the processing underlying the perception of visual motion. During initiation of smooth pursuit, an averaging across all available motion information occurs. Cognitive factors including attention, prediction and learning are able to influence the execution of smooth pursuit. The pursuit target trajectory in space is represented in the discharge rates of neurons in the posterior parietal cortex of rhesus monkeys.