[Eye movement: from basic semiology to cognitive neuroscience]

Abstract

Eye movements are an integral part of visual function. They are particularly well developed in frontal-eyed predator species. The abducens nuclei ensure lateral ocular motor synergy, while the oculomotor nuclei control vertical eye movements and convergence. The two main types of conjugate eye movement--saccades (image switching) and slow movements (image stabilization)--are controlled by specific brainstem premotor structures (respectively reticular and vestibular). Upstream of the brainstem, the cortical and subcortical pathways involved in eye movements are gradually being elucidated. Saccades are being used as a motor model to study the different cognitive processes, such as spatial memory, prediction and decision, involved in general movement preparation. The classical approaches based on lesion analysis, combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation and functional cerebral imaging, are contributing to our understanding of how the brain functions. Eye movements can be used for bedside diagnostic purposes, but also for sophisticated laboratory studies designed to explore the universe of cognition.