Ocular Tracking: Behavior and Neurophysiology

'Ocular tracking' refers to visually driven, slow eye movements that stabilize moving images on the retina, thereby facilitating high acuity vision. Recent behavioral studies have shown that the primate brain produces several kinds of ocular tracking responses that operate precisely and consistently, with ultra-short latencies. Electrophysiological studies indicate that these tracking responses are mediated by a pathway that includes the medial superior temporal area of the cerebral cortex. Responses of neurons in this pathway are consistent with the short latencies and complex visual properties observed in behavioral studies of the tracking response.