Effects of reversible inactivation of the primate mesencephalic reticular formation. II. Hypometric vertical saccades.

Electrical microstimulation and single-unit recording have suggested that a group of long-lead burst neurons (LLBNs) in the mesencephalic reticular formation (MRF) just lateral to the interstitial nucleus of Cajal (INC) (the peri-INC MRF, piMRF) may play a role in the generation of vertical rapid eye movements. Inactivation of this region with muscimol (a GABA(A) agonist) rapidly produced vertical saccade hypometria (6 injections). In three of six injections, there was a marked reduction in the velocity of vertical saccades out of proportion to saccade amplitude (i.e., saccades fell below the main sequence). This was associated with a moderate increase in saccade duration. Inadvertent inactivation of the INC could not account for these observations because vertical, postsaccadic drift was not observed. Similarly, pure downward saccade hypometria, the hallmark of rostral interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus (riMLF) inactivation, was always preceded by loss of upward saccades in our experiments. We also found a downward and ipsiversive displacement of initial eye position and evidence of a contraversive head tilt following piMRF injections. Saccade latency was shorter after two of six injections. Simulation of a local feedback model provided three possible explanations for vertical saccade hypometria: 1) a shift in the input to the model to request smaller saccades, 2) a reduction of LLBN input to the vertical saccade medium lead burst neurons (MLBNs), or 3) an increase in the gain of the feedback pathway. However, when the second hypothesis was coupled to a shortened duration of the saccade trigger (i.e., the discharge of the omnipause neurons), the physiological observations of piMRF inactivation could be replicated. This suggested that muscimol had targeted structures that provided both long-lead burst activity to the MLBNs in the riMLF and were critical for reactivation of the omnipause neurons. Evidence of markedly reduced vertical saccade amplitude, curved saccade trajectories, increased saccade duration, and saccades that fall below the amplitude/velocity main sequence in these monkeys closely parallels the oculomotor findings of patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).