NEGATIVE CORTICAL POTENTIALS IN HUMANS TO THE VISUAL-STIMULI WHICH INDUCE SACCADES

EEG of the frontal and parietal areas (F-3, F-4, F-2, P-3, P-4 accordi ng to the International 10-20 System) was recorded in 4 healthy subjec ts aged 20-25 years. The saccades were elicited by the shift of the li ght stimulus to the peripheral diodes (step or gap stimulation scheme) . A complex fast event-related potential was evoked by the visual stim ulation prior to the saccade onset. Amplitudes and topography of this potential depended on the saccade latency, stimulation scheme, spatial pattern of stimuli presentation and individual features of a subject. It is suggested that the early negative potentials reflect the proces ses of sensory processing of the stimuli spatial patterns and percepti ve attention. The negative potentials with the intermediate latency ma y reflect the processes of activation of the cortical structures which participate in programming and triggering the saccades.