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Characteristics of cervico-ocular responses in the chameleon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

Henri Gioanni ,
Annie Sansonetti  and
Mohamed Bennis
Henri Gioanni
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Neurochimie-Anatomie, IDN Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 9 Quai St Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
Annie Sansonetti
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Neurochimie-Anatomie, IDN Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 9 Quai St Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
Mohamed Bennis
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Neurosciences, Université Cadi Ayyad, Marrakech, Morocco
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Abstract

The cervico-ocular reflex (COR) was investigated in the chameleon. Two kinds of responses were observed by oscillating the body (sine-wave stimuli) in the fixed-head animal: a "smooth response" of very low gain (around 0.08) and a saccadic response composed of 1–12 saccades per cycle of stimulation (depending on the stimulation frequency). Both responses were elicited in the compensatory direction (same direction as the stimulation) and exhibited a frequency dependence with low-pass properties. The saccadic response was especially developed and displayed a higher gain (up to 0.4) than the smooth response. In darkness, the saccades were triggered near the zero point (head-body alignment), whereas in the presence of a fixed visual surround they were elicited more regularly throughout the stimulation cycle. The amplitude of saccades was increased in the light. Consequently, the gain and the phase lag of the saccadic reponse were enhanced by the visual input. No visuo-cervical interaction was observed for the smooth response. Oscillating the body at a constant velocity (seesaw or ramp stimuli) revealed a frequency effect on the number of saccades (during a cycle of stimulation), but not on the gain of the response. Increasing the amplitude of oscillations augmented only very slightly the amplitude of saccades and consequently decreased the gain. Hence, the best working range of the saccadic response corresponds to body or head movements of low amplitude (up to ±20 deg) and low frequency (up to 0.25 Hz), and is improved by a visual input. These properties are discussed on a comparative point of view. It is proposed that, in chameleons, the saccadic response could contribute to gaze stabilization and add to the vestibulo-ocular and the optokinetic responses.

Keywords

Cervico-ocular reflex (COR)SaccadesCompensatory eye movementsChameleon
Type
Research Articles
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 14 , Issue 6 , November 1997 , pp. 1175 - 1184
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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