Transcranial magnetic stimulation over the posterior cerebellum during smooth pursuit eye movements in man

Recent neurophysiological experiments in the monkey have demonstrated that the flocculus and the posterior vermis, lobules VIc-VII (oculomotor vermis), are involved in the generation of pursuit eye movements. Whereas the functions of the flocculus in the control of smooth pursuit have been intensively investigated, sufficient data are not available for a profitable discussion of the functions of the oculomotor vermis in the control of smooth pursuit. We previously indicated that the posterior vermis can be electrically stimulated by a focal transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) device through the skull in man, and that focal TMS of the posterior vermis can modulate saccadic eye movements. In this study we investigated the effects of cerebellar stimulation on smooth pursuit metrics in man using a focal TMS device. Focal TMS was applied over the posterior cerebellum in an area similar to 7 mm lateral and caudal to the inion, where saccadic eye movements are modulated by TMS, during horizontal smooth pursuit elicited by a step-ramp target with a constant velocity of 15 degrees/s in four normal subjects. The TMS device was triggered after the onset of smooth pursuit during the initial acceleration phase (latency range = 40-80 ms) or the steady-state tracking phase (latency range = 300-340 ms). We investigated the effect of TMS on the velocity and acceleration of smooth pursuit. For smooth pursuit directed ipsilateral to the stimulation sine (ipsiversive), focal TMS of the posterior cerebellum produced abrupt acceleration of pursuit in both initial acceleration and steady-state tracking phases. On the other hand, TMS produced abrupt deceleration of contraversive pursuit in both initial acceleration and steady-state tracking phases. These findings suggest that the posterior vermis controls smooth pursuit velocity in a direction-selective manner in both initial acceleration and steady-state tracking phases.