Spatiotemporal Content of Saccade Transients.

TitleSpatiotemporal Content of Saccade Transients.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2020
AuthorsMostofi N, Zhao Z, Intoy J, Boi M, Victor JD, Rucci M
JournalCurr Biol
Volume30
Issue20
Pagination3999-4008.e2
Date Published2020 Oct 19
ISSN1879-0445
Abstract

Humans use rapid gaze shifts, known as saccades, to explore visual scenes. These movements yield abrupt luminance changes on the retina, which elicit robust neural discharges at fixation onsets. Yet little is known about the spatial content of saccade transients. Here, we show that saccades redistribute spatial information within the temporal range of retinal sensitivity following two distinct regimes: saccade modulations counterbalance (whiten) the spectral density of natural scenes at low spatial frequencies and follow the external power distribution at higher frequencies. This redistribution is a consequence of saccade dynamics, particularly the speed/amplitude/duration relation known as the main sequence. It resembles the redistribution resulting from inter-saccadic eye drifts, revealing a continuum in the modulations given by different eye movements, with oculomotor transitions primarily acting by regulating the bandwidth of whitening. Our findings suggest important computational roles for saccade transients in the establishment of spatial representations and lead to testable predictions about their consequences for visual functions and encoding mechanisms.

DOI10.1016/j.cub.2020.07.085
Alternate JournalCurr Biol
PubMed ID32916116
PubMed Central IDPMC7578117
Grant ListF31 EY029565 / EY / NEI NIH HHS / United States
R01 EY007977 / EY / NEI NIH HHS / United States
R01 EY018363 / EY / NEI NIH HHS / United States