Vertical eye movements related signals in antidromically identified medullary reticular formation neurons in the alert cat.

Short and long lead burst neurons antidromically activated from the rostral mesencephalic reticular formation, and synaptically activated from the contralateral superior colliculus were recorded in the medullary reticular formation underlying the prepositus hypoglossi nucleus. These neurons were shown to be related to vertical eye movements, ranging from pure vertical to oblique planes. Vertical saccade coding was similar to that of horizontal short lead pontine cells. The presence of vertical short and long lead burst neurons in the medullary reticular formation raises new questions about the organization of the control of eye movements in the vertical plane.