Functional connectivity in vergence and saccade eye movement tasks assessed using Granger Causality Analysis
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
12-26-2011
Abstract
Throughout the day, the human visual system acquires information using saccade and vergence eye movements. Previously, functional MRI (fMRI) experiments have shown both shared neural resources and spatial differentiation between these two systems. FMRI experiments can reveal which regions are activated within an experimental task but do not yield insight into how regions of interest (ROIs) interact with each other. This study investigated the number and direction of influences among ROIs using a Granger Causality Analysis (GCA) a statistical technique used to identify if an ROI is significantly influencing or connected to another ROI. Two stimulus protocols were used: first, a simple block design of fixation versus random eye movements; and second, a more cognitively demanding task using random versus predictable movements. Each protocol used saccadic movements and was then repeated using vergence movements. Eight subjects participated in each of the four experiments. Results show that when prediction was evoked, more connections between ROIs were observed compared to the simple tracking experiment. More connections were also observed during the vergence prediction task compared to the saccade prediction task. Differences within the number of connections may be due to the type of oculomotor eye movements, as well as to the amount of higher-level executive cognitive demand. © 2011 IEEE.
Identifier
84861692556 (Scopus)
ISBN
[9781424441211]
Publication Title
Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society EMBS
External Full Text Location
https://doi.org/10.1109/IEMBS.2011.6092001
ISSN
1557170X
PubMed ID
22256225
First Page
8114
Last Page
8117
Grant
R01NS049176
Fund Ref
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Recommended Citation
Alkan, Yelda; Alvarez, Tara L.; Gohel, Suril; Taylor, Paul A.; and Biswal, Bharat B., "Functional connectivity in vergence and saccade eye movement tasks assessed using Granger Causality Analysis" (2011). Faculty Publications. 10955.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/fac_pubs/10955
