Extraocular muscle afferents to the cerebellum of the cat

Abstract

1. Afferents from the extraocular muscles to the cerebellum of the cat were investigated by evoked potential techniques using muscle stretch as a stimulus.2. Short (about 4 msec) latency responses occurred in the vermian folia anterior (Larsell's lobule V b, c) and posterior (lobules VI and VII) to the primary fissure under light Nembutal anaesthesia.3. The location of the cerebellar eye muscle responses coincides with the visual and auditory projections as well as homologous projections from cortical Areas 8 (the frontal eye fields) and 17 in the monkey. It also overlaps the oculomotor area of the cerebellum as revealed by electrical stimulation.4. Facts 2 and 3 above, together with the selective disturbance of saccadic eye movements in humans with cerebellar atrophy, suggest a cerebellum mediated proprioceptive feed-back loop for the control of saccadic eye movements.