Control of ocular movement.

Abstract

The ocular-motor system is organized to concentrate the images received by the eye upon the fovea, the most sensitive area of the retina. The acquisition and maintenance of object images upon the fovea, together with their stabilization during head movements, constitute the basic roles of human eye movement. These movements are simply motor outputs in response to sensory (primarily visual) inputs, but the precision of the system represents the most extraordinary example of sensory-motor integration carried out by the brain. This elegant system of fine movement, coupled with the accuracy with which eye position can be measured and the obvious (and potential) clinical correlation, accounts for the voluminous output of eye movement research in recent years. This deep interest is reflected in past (Bach-y-Rita, Collins and Hyde, I97I; Dichgans and Bizzi, I972), present, and future symposia (a symposium entitled Basic Mechianisms of Ocular Motility and Their Clinical Implications is planned in Stockholm in June, I974). The enormity of the subject boggles the mind of someone preparing a short talk. I will not attempt an all-encompassing basic review of the subject but will concentrate upon: (i) Single unit recordings from the brain, (2) Extraocular muscle proprioception, (3) Some of our own investigations.