Daniel E Guitton, PhD
Daniel Guitton’s research focuses on a critical problem in systems neuroscience which is to understand the link between the visual and gaze movement systems. The overall objective is to gain insight on how we use eye movements to see. His research focuses on how the neural circuits that generate eye and head movements bring the fovea onto salient features of the visual world. Guitton analyzes neural activity obtained by recording simultaneously from neurons in different visual and oculomotor areas of the brain. Another important component of his research is the study of visuo-motor deficits in neurological patients. He collaborates with Dr. C. Pack, a specialist in the visual system, and Dr. H.L. Galiana, an engineer specializing in the development of theoretical network and systems models of the brain’s visuo-motor control systems. Their objective is to develop models that can explain normal and pathological visuo-motor behaviour.
Bergeron, A. & Guitton D. Fixation neurons of the superior colliculus encode distance between current and desired gaze positions. Nature Neuroscience. 3: 932-939, 2000.
Bergeron, A., Matsuo, S., & Guitton D. Superior colliculus encodes distance to target, not saccade amplitude, in multi-step gaze shifts. Nature Neuroscience 6:404-413, 2003.
Herter, T.M. & Guitton, D. Accurate bidirectional saccade control by a single hemicortex. Brain 127:1393-1402, 2004.
Matsuo, S., Bergeron, A., & Guitton, D. Evidence for gaze feedback to the cat superior colliculus: discharges reflect gaze trajectory perturbations. J. Neurosci. 17:2760-2773, 2004.
Choi, W.Y., & Guitton D. Responses of collicular fixation neurons to gaze shift perturbations in head-unrestrained monkey reveal gaze feedback control. Neuron 50:1-15, 2006.
