Control system for saccadic eye movement and neck flexion effect on the saccadic neural pathway

Abstract

  Saccades are fast movements of the eyes which are suited to rapidly center images of objects in the visual field onto the fovea. The function of the saccade has been investigated by using the experimental manipulation of the visual stimuli. Two viewpoints were used to investigate that function. The first point is the presentation method of the visual target. Visually-guided, memory-guided and anti tasks have been used in the previous studies. The second point is the time relation between offset timing of central fixation point and onset timing of peripheral visual target. Overlap and gap tasks have been used in the previous studies. To support the function of the saccade, the brainstem, superior colliculus, cerebellum, and cerebrum are coordinately concerned it. At the first, in this review, the saccadic neural mechanism in the brain was summarized systematically. Next, this review was described shortening effect of the saccadic reaction time while maintaining the neck flexion position as follows: (1) physiological factor to induce the shortening of the reaction time, (2) the shortening effect on the reaction time formed through the training, and (3) age-related changes in the shortening of the reaction time.