Volume 8, Number 15, Article 6, Pages 1-13 doi:10.1167/8.15.6 http://journalofvision.org/8/15/6/ ISSN 1534-7362
A dynamic representation of target motion drives predictive smooth pursuit during target blanking
Jean-Jacques Orban de Xivry
CESAME, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, & Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
[home] [e-mail]
Marcus Missal
CESAME, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, & Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
[home] [e-mail]
Philippe Lefèvre
CESAME, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, & Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
[home] [e-mail]
Abstract

Moving objects are often occluded by neighboring objects. In order for the eye to smoothly pursue a moving object that is transiently occluded, a prediction of its trajectory is necessary. For targets moving on a linear path, predictive eye velocity can be regulated on the basis of target motion before and after the occlusions. However, objects in a more dynamic environment move along more complex trajectories. In this condition, a dynamic internal representation of target motion is required. Yet, the nature of such an internal representation has never been investigated. Similarly, the impact of predictive saccades on the predictive smooth pursuit response has never been considered. Therefore, we investigated the predictive smooth pursuit and saccadic responses during the occlusion of a target moving along a circular path. We found that the predictive smooth pursuit was driven by an internal representation of target motion that evolved with time. In addition, we demonstrated that in two dimensions, the predictive smooth pursuit system does influence the amplitude of predictive saccades but not vice versa. In conclusion, in the absence of retinal inputs, the smooth pursuit system is driven by the output of a short-term velocity memory that contains the dynamic representation of target motion.

View full-text

History
Received April 16, 2008; published November 17, 2008
Citation
Orban de Xivry, J.-J., Missal, M., & Lefèvre, P. (2008). A dynamic representation of target motion drives predictive smooth pursuit during target blanking. Journal of Vision, 8(15):6, 1-13, http://journalofvision.org/8/15/6/, doi:10.1167/8.15.6.
Keywords
eye movements, prediction, saccade pursuit interaction, occlusion, smooth pursuit
Downloads
88 Total.
 
Search
for related articles by these authors
for papers that cite this paper
Get citation






jov