Functional roles of the lateral suprasylvian cortex in ocular near response in the cat

Abstract

The lateral suprasylvian (LS) area, an extrastriate visual area in the cat, has been suggested to play an important role in processing motion in 3-dimensional visual space. In addition, the LS area is related to all three components of the ocular near response, i.e. lens accommodation, pupillary constriction, and ocular convergence: microstimulation in this area evoked these intra- and extraocular movements, and neuronal discharges associated with these movements were also found. Anatomical pathways, direct and indirect, from this area to premotor nuclei in the brainstem are known to exist. The present paper reviews studies useful for assessing the functional roles played by the LS area in triggering and modulating component movements in the ocular near response.