![Brodmann area 8 animation](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Brodmann_area_8_animation.gif)
The frontal eye fields (FEF) are a region located in the
frontal cortex, more specifically in
Brodmann area 8
Brodmann area 8 is one of Brodmann's cytologically defined regions of the brain. It is involved in planning complex movements.
Human
Brodmann area 8, or BA8, is part of the frontal cortex in the human brain. Situated just anterior to the prem ...
or BA8,
of the primate
brain
A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a v ...
. In humans, it can be more accurately said to lie in a region around the intersection of the
middle frontal gyrus
The middle frontal gyrus makes up about one-third of the frontal lobe of the human brain. (A ''gyrus'' is one of the prominent "bumps" or "ridges" on the surface of the human brain.)
The middle frontal gyrus, like the inferior frontal gyrus an ...
with the
precentral gyrus
The precentral gyrus is a prominent gyrus on the surface of the posterior frontal lobe of the brain. It is the site of the primary motor cortex that in humans is cytoarchitecturally defined as Brodmann area 4.
Structure
The precentral gyrus l ...
, consisting of a frontal and parietal portion. The FEF is responsible for
saccadic eye movements for the purpose of visual field perception and awareness, as well as for voluntary eye movement. The FEF communicates with extraocular muscles indirectly via the
paramedian pontine reticular formation
The paramedian pontine reticular formation, also known as PPRF or paraabducens nucleus, is part of the pontine reticular formation, a brain region without clearly defined borders in the center of the pons. It is involved in the coordination of eye ...
. Destruction of the FEF causes deviation of the eyes to the ipsilateral side.
Function
The cortical area called frontal eye field (FEF) plays an important role in the control of visual attention and eye movements.
Electrical stimulation in the FEF elicits saccadic eye movements. The FEF have a topographic structure and represents saccade targets in
retinotopic coordinates.
The frontal eye field is reported to be activated during the initiation of
eye movements
Eye movement includes the voluntary or involuntary movement of the eyes. Eye movements are used by a number of organisms (e.g. primates, rodents, flies, birds, fish, cats, crabs, octopus) to fixate, inspect and track visual objects of inte ...
, such as voluntary
saccade
A saccade ( , French for ''jerk'') is a quick, simultaneous movement of both eyes between two or more phases of fixation in the same direction.Cassin, B. and Solomon, S. ''Dictionary of Eye Terminology''. Gainesville, Florida: Triad Publishi ...
s
and
pursuit eye movements.
There is also evidence that it plays a role in purely sensory processing and that it belongs to a “fast brain” system through a
superior colliculus
In neuroanatomy, the superior colliculus () is a structure lying on the roof of the mammalian midbrain. In non-mammalian vertebrates, the homologous structure is known as the optic tectum, or optic lobe. The adjective form ''tectal'' is commonly ...
–
medial dorsal nucleus
The medial dorsal nucleus (or dorsomedial nucleus of thalamus) is a large nucleus in the thalamus.
It is believed to play a role in memory.
Structure
It relays inputs from the amygdala and olfactory cortex and projects to the prefrontal cortex a ...
– FEF ascending pathway.
In humans, its earliest activations in regard to visual stimuli occur at 45 ms with activations related to changes in visual stimuli within 45–60 ms (these are comparable with response times in the
primary visual cortex
The visual cortex of the brain is the area of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information. It is located in the occipital lobe. Sensory input originating from the eyes travels through the lateral geniculate nucleus in the thalamus and ...
).
This fast brain pathway also provides auditory input at even shorter times starting at 24 ms and being affected by auditory characteristics at 30–60 ms.
The FEF constitutes together with the
supplementary eye fields (SEF), the
intraparietal sulcus
The intraparietal sulcus (IPS) is located on the lateral surface of the parietal lobe, and consists of an oblique and a horizontal portion. The IPS contains a series of functionally distinct subregions that have been intensively investigated usin ...
(IPS) and the
superior colliculus
In neuroanatomy, the superior colliculus () is a structure lying on the roof of the mammalian midbrain. In non-mammalian vertebrates, the homologous structure is known as the optic tectum, or optic lobe. The adjective form ''tectal'' is commonly ...
(SC) one of the most important brain areas involved in the generation and control of eye movements, particularly in the direction contralateral to the frontal eye fields' location. In addition, FEF has an important role in the covert allocation of spatial attention through its reciprocal connectivity with visual cortex.
Clinical significance
Lesions
Unilateral irritative stimulation of a FEF causes
conjugate gaze The term gaze is frequently used in physiology to describe coordinated motion of the eyes and neck. The lateral gaze is controlled by the paramedian pontine reticular formation (PPRF). The vertical gaze is controlled by the rostral interstitial nucl ...
contralateral to the stimulation. Conversely, a unilateral destructive lesion of the FEF causes conjugate gaze towards the lesion.
See also
*
Saccade
A saccade ( , French for ''jerk'') is a quick, simultaneous movement of both eyes between two or more phases of fixation in the same direction.Cassin, B. and Solomon, S. ''Dictionary of Eye Terminology''. Gainesville, Florida: Triad Publishi ...
*
Smooth pursuit
In the scientific study of vision, smooth pursuit describes a type of eye movement in which the eyes remain fixated on a moving object. It is one of two ways that visual animals can voluntarily shift gaze, the other being saccadic eye movemen ...
*
Supplementary eye fields
*
IPS
IPS, ips, or iPS may refer to:
Science and technology Biology and medicine
* ''Ips'' (genus), a genus of bark beetle
* Induced pluripotent stem cell or iPS cells
* Intermittent photic stimulation, a neuroimaging technique
* Intraparietal sulcus, ...
/
LIP
The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...
References
External links
Frontal Eye Field (Scholarpedia)
{{Visual system
Saccade
Brodmann areas
Cerebral cortex
Frontal lobe