The role of the ventrolateral frontal cortex in inhibitory oculomotor control

• DOI: 10.1093/brain/awm064
• Publication Date: 2007-04-24T16:27:57Z
• Authors: T. Hodgson; M. Chamberlain; B. Parris; M. James; N. Gutowski; M. Husain; C. Kennard
• Keywords: Frontal lobe; Antisaccade task; Frontal eye fields; Stimulus (psychology); Inhibitory control; Ventrolateral prefrontal cortex; Frontal cortex

It has been proposed that the inferior/ventrolateral frontal cortex plays a critical role in inhibitory control of action during cognitive tasks. However, contribution this region to eye movements not clearly established. Here, we describe performance group 23 lobe damaged patients an oculomotor rule switching task for which association between centrally presented visual cue and direction saccade could change from trial trial. A subset 16 also completed standard antisaccade task. Ventrolateral damage was found be significant predictor errors both Analysis rate at corrected revealed important dissociation left right hemisphere patients. Whilst with ventrolateral usually response secondary saccades, those lesions often failed do so. The results suggest inferior forms part wider network mediating over stimulus elicited movements. played by tasks may arise due additional functional specialization monitoring updating rules.