A study of the switching function of the Subthalamic Nucleus in saccade generation using a computational model of Basal Ganglia

Saccades are rapid, frequent eye movements that shift the fovea onto objects of interest. Several areas of the brain, including the frontal cortical areas, Lateral Intraparietal (LIP) cortex, Basal Ganglia (BG), Superior Colliculus (SC) and the brainstem reticular formation are believed to be involved in saccade generation. Models of saccade generation, however, tend to focus heavily on the determination of saccadic saliency in the Superior Colliculus and eye movement dynamics thereafter. The aim of this paper is to model the role played by the BG, particularly the switching function of the SubThalamic Nucleus (STN), in switching from a pattern of automated saccadic responses, to voluntary control of saccade generation.