Cortical development and saccade planning: the ontogeny of the spike potential.

The spike potential is a sharply timed positivity which precedes eye movements in adults, and is thought to indicate cortical planning of saccades. While the spike potential is observed under most conditions in adults, it has not been reported in young infants. In the present study we shed light on the ontogeny of the spike potential by demonstrating for the first time its existence in a group of older infants (12 months). This result is consistent with a relatively delayed onset of cortical control over saccades during development.