Cortical and subcortical proprioceptive contribution to oculomotor control in humans

Motivation: The role of proprioception in controlling the movement of the eyes is currently unknown. Goal(s): To investigate cortical and subcortical activity in response to a proprioceptive stimulation task. Approach: 7T fMRI was used to measure BOLD signal in the whole cortex and the brainstem while volunteers performed a previously published proprioceptive task. Results: BOLD response was measured in the spinal trigeminal nucleus and the central sulcus/postcentral gyrus, as well as the abducens nuclei, frontal eye fields, supplementary eye fields and the cerebellum. Impact: A better understanding of the role of proprioception in eye movement control, can open up new avenues for research into the neural mechanisms underlying disorders of eye position and movement like childhood strabismus.