Neural correlates of saccade planning in infants: a high-density ERP study

Int J Psychophysiol. 1998 Jul;29(2):201-15. doi: 10.1016/s0167-8760(98)00016-6.

Abstract

Neural correlates of saccade planning in 6-month-old infants were investigated by high-density event-related potentials. Subjects made saccades to a target stimulus following a time gap from fixation stimulus offset (gap trials) or with the fixation stimulus still present (overlap trials). Like adults, infants were slower to make a saccade to the target when the fixation stimulus was still present. Strikingly, infants did not show clear evidence of the pre-saccadic components observed in adults which are thought to reflect cortical saccade planning processes. They did, however, show a left frontal positivity, which we suggest reflects cortical disinhibition of the colliculus initiated by fixation stimulus offset, and clear post-saccadic lambda waves. These results indicate that the frontal cortex already plays a role in action control by 6 months of age, while other aspects of cortical action planning may not yet be present in certain task situations.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Electroencephalography
  • Evoked Potentials, Visual / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Saccades / physiology*