Oculomotor control and executive function

Question 1

oculomotor control

Answer 1

visual info is encoded by the superior colliculus

retinotopic representation - stimulation in visual field, will always activate specific neuron in specific place

Question 2

neural pathways of executive functions

Answer 2

pro-saccade pathway

info from retina are projected to superior colliculus

→ projected to reticular formation

→ produces pro-saccade eye movements

anti-saccade pathway

info from retina are projected to LGN (lateral geniculate nucleus)

→ visual cortex

→ frontal cortex, dorsal lateral pre-frontal cortex (DLPFC, executive control)

→ basal ganglia

→ cerebellum

→ reticular formation

→ anti-saccade eye movement

Question 3

executive function and schizophrenia (SZ)

Answer 3

SZ is a disorder that makes it hard to:

• tell the difference between what is real and not real
• think clearly
• have normal emotional responses
• adhere to typical social norms
• persons with SZ produce more antisaccade directional errors (30-70%) than healthy controls
• evidence for inhibitory dysfunction
• genetic studies may benefit from using antisaccade task as a phenotype within SZ families
• improve detection of gene carriers and power to detect linkage enhanced

Question 4

fMRI of schizophrenia

Answer 4

• increase activation of brain activity from saccade to anti-saccade task of patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy adults
• schizophrenic patients have loss of inhibitory control

(left healthy and right schizophrenic)