Publications

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Hu, X., Jang, H., Gu, C., Li, C. & Sparks, D.L. The reliability of oculomotor command signals carried by individual neurons. PNAS, in press.
 
Gandhi, N.J. & Sparks, D.L. Dissociation of eye and head components of gaze shifts by stimulation of the omnipause neuron region. J Neurophysiol., in press.
 
Isa, T. & Sparks, D.L. Microcircuit of the superior colliculus: A neuronal machine that determines timing and endpoint of saccadic eye movements. In: Microcircuits: The Interface between Neurons and Global Brain Function, The MIT Press, Editors: S. Grillner and A.M. Graybiel, pp. 5-34, 2006.
 
Sparks, D.L. & Hu, X. Saccade initiation and the reliability of motor signals involved in the generation of saccadic eye movements. In: Percept, Decision, Action: Bridging the Gaps, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Novartis Foundation Symposium 270, pp. 75-87, 2006 .
 
Sparks, D.L. An argument for using ethologically "natural" behaviors as estimates of unobservable sensory processes. Focus on "Sound localization performance in the cat: the effect of restraining the head". J. Neurophysiol., 93: 1136-1137, 2005.
 
Walton, M.G., Sparks, D.L. and Gandhi, N.J. Simulations of saccade curvature by models that place superior colliculus upstream from the local feedback loop. J. Neurophysiol., 93: 2354-2358, 2005.
 
Sparks, D.L. Commands for coordinated eye and head movements in the primate superior colliculus. The Oculomotor System: New Approaches for Studying Sensorimotor Integration. Hall, W.C. & Moschovakis, A.K. Eds., CRC Press, pp. 303-318, 2004.
 
Goffart, L., Chen, L.L. & Sparks, D.L. Deficits in saccades and fixation during muscimol inactivation of the caudal fastigial nucleus in the rhesus monkey. J. Neurophysiol., 92: 3351-3367, 2004.
 
Sparks, D.L. and Gandhi, N.J. Single cell signals: an oculomotor perspective. In: Neural Control of Space Coding and Action Production, Elsevier, Editors: C. Prablanc, D. Pelisson, Y. Rossetti, Amsterdam, pp 35-54, 2003.
 
Barton, E.J., Nelson, J.S., Gandhi, N.J. and Sparks, D.L. Effects of partial lidocaine inactivation of the paramedian pontine reticular formation on saccades of macaques. J. Neurophysiol., 90: 372-386, 2003.
 
Gandhi, N.J. and Sparks, D.L. Changing views of the role of superior colliculus in the control of gaze. In: The Visual Neurosciences, Eds., Chalupa, L.M. and Werner, J. (Eds), The MIT Press, pp. 1449-1465, 2003. 
 
Goffart, L., Chen, L.L. & Sparks, D.L. Saccade dysmetria during functional perturbation of the caudal fastigial nucleus in the monkey. Ann. NY Acad. Sci., 1004: 220-228, 2003.
 
Sparks, D.L. The brainstem control of saccadic eye movements. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 3: 952-964, 2002.
 
Sparks, D.L., Barton, E.J., Gandhi, N.J. & Nelson, J. Studies of the role of the paramedian pontine reticular formation (PPRF) in the control of head-restrained and head-unrestrained gaze shifts. Ann.NY Acad.Sci., 956: 85-98, 2002.
 
Sparks, D.L., Freedman, E.G., Chen, L.L. & Gandhi, N.J. Cortical and subcortical contributions to coordinated eye and head movements. Vision Research, 41: 3295-3305, 2001.
 
Gandhi, N.J. & Sparks, D.L. Experimental control of eye and head positions prior to head-unrestrained gaze shifts in monkey. Vision Research, 41: 3243-3254, 2001.
 
Chen, L.L., Goffart, L. & Sparks, D.L. A simple method for constructing microinjectrodes for reversible inactivation in head-unrestrained, behaving monkeys. J. Neuroscience Methods, 107: 81-85, 2001.
 
Barton, E. & Sparks, D.L. Saccades to remembered targets exhibit enhanced orbital position effects. Vision Research, 41: 2393-2406, 2001.
 
Freedman, E.G. and Sparks, D.L. Coordination of the Eyes and Head: Movement Kinematics. Exp. Brain Res., 131: 22-32, 2000.
 
Sparks, D.L., Rohrer, B. & Zhang, Y. The role of the superior colliculus in saccade initiation: A study of express saccades and the gap effect. Vision Research, 40: 2763-2777, 2000.

 

Sparks, D.L. Conceptual issues related to the role of the superior colliculus in the control of gaze. Curr. Opin. Neurobiol., 9: 698-707, 1999.   
 
Sparks, D.L. Kristan, W.B. and Shaw, B.K. The role of population coding in the control of movement. Book Chapter.  Neurons, Networks, and Motor Behavior. Stein, Grillner, Selverston, and Stuart, eds. MIT Press, pp. 21-32, 1997.
 
Freedman, E.G. and Sparks, D.L. Eye-head coordination during head unrestrained gaze shifts in rhesus monkeys. J. Neurophysiol., 77: 2328-2348, 1997.
 
Freedman, E.G. and Sparks, D.L. Activity of cells in the deeper layers of the superior colliculus of rhesus monkey: Evidence for a gaze displacement command. J. Neurophysiol., 78: 1669-1690, 1997.
 
Groh, J.M. & Sparks, D.L. Saccades to Somatosensory Targets. I. Behavioral Characteristics. J. Neurophysiol., 75: 412-427, 1996.
 
Groh, J.M. and Sparks, D.L. Saccades to Somatosensory Targets. II. Motor Convergence in primate superior colliculus. J. Neurophysiol., 75: 428-438, 1996.
 
Groh, J.M. and Sparks, D.L. Saccades to Somatosensory Targets. III. Eye-dependent somatosensory activity in primate superior colliculus. J. Neurophysiol., 75: 439-453, 1996.
 
Nichols, J. and Sparks, D.L. Component stretching during oblique stimulation-evoked saccades: the role of the superior colliculus. J. Neurophysiol., 76: 582-600, 1996.
 
Freedman, E.G., Stanford, T.R., and Sparks, D.L. Combined eye-head gaze shifts produced by electrical stimulation of the superior colliculus in rhesus monkeys. J. Neurophysiol., 76: 927-952, 1996.
 
Stanford, T.R., Freedman, E.G., and Sparks, D.L. The site and parameters of microstimulation determine the properties of eye movements evoked from the primate superior colliculus: Evidence for independent collicular signals of saccade displacement and velocity. J. Neurophysiol. , 76: 3360-3381, 1996.
 
Nichols, J. & Sparks, D.L. Independent feedback control of horizontal and vertical amplitude during oblique saccades evoked by electrical stimulation of the superior colliculus. J. Neurophysiol., 76: 4080-4093, 1996.
 
Kalesnykas, R.P. and Sparks, D.L. The primate superior colliculus and the control of saccadic eye movements. The Neuroscientist, 2: 284-292, 1996.
 
Sparks, David L. Testing the predictions of different models of the saccadic system. In: Vision and Movement Mechanisms In The Cerebral Cortex. Eds. R. Caminiti, K-P. Hoffmann, F. Lacquaniti, and J. Altman. HFSP, Strasbourg, 1996, pp. 107-116.
 
Sparks, D.L. and Groh, J.M. The superior colliculus: A window to problems in integrative neuroscience. Chapter in The Cognitive Neurosciences, M.S. Gazzaniga, ed., MIT Press, Cambridge, 1995, pp. 565-584.
 
Nichols, J. & Sparks, D.L. Non-stationary behavior of the saccadic system: a new constraint on models. J. Neurophysiol., 73: 431-435, 1995.  
 
Harris-Warrick, R. & Sparks, D. Neural control. Editorial overview. Curr. Opin. Neurobiol., 5: 721-726, 1995.
 
White, J.M., Sparks, D.L., and Stanford, T.R. Saccades to remembered target locations: An analysis of systematic and variable errors. Vision Research, 34: 79-92, 1994.
 
Stanford, T.R. and Sparks, D.L. Systematic errors for saccades to remembered targets: Evidence for a dissociation between saccade metrics and activity in the superior colliculus. Vision Research, 34: 93-106, 1994.
 
Rohrer, W.H. and Sparks, D.L. Express saccades: The effects of spatial and temporal uncertainty. Vision Research, 33: 2447-2460, 1993.
 
Sparks, D. & Barton, E.J. Neural control of saccadic eye movements. Curr. Opin. Neurobiol., 3: 966-972, 1993.
 
Glimcher, P. and Sparks, D.L. The effects of low frequency stimulation of the superior colliculus on spontaneous and visually-guided saccades. J. Neurophysiol., 69: 953-964, 1993.
 
Glimcher, P. and Sparks, D.L. Representation of averaging saccades in the superior colliculus. Exp. Br. Res., 95: 429-435, 1993.
 
Sparks, D.L. Are gaze shifts controlled by a "moving hill" of activity in the superior colliculus? TINS, 16: 214-215, 1993.
 
Glimcher, P. and Sparks, D.L. Movement selection in advance of action: saccade-related bursters of the superior colliculus. Nature, 355: 542-545, 1992.
 
Groh, J.M. and Sparks, D.L. Two models for transforming auditory signals from head-centered to eye-centered coordinates. Biol. Cybernetics, 67: 291-302, 1992.
 
Sparks, D.L. The neural control of orienting eye and head movements. In Motor Control: Concepts and Issues. Dahlem Konferenzen. Humphrey, D.R., Freund, H.-J., eds. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 1991, pp. 263-275.
 
Sparks, D.L. Introduction: Sensori-motor integration. Seminars in the Neurosciences, 3: 1-2, 1991.
 
Sparks, D.L. Sensorimotor integration in the primate superior colliculus. Seminars in the Neurosciences, 3: 39-50, 1991.
 
Hartwich-Young, R., J. S. Nelson, and D. L. Sparks. The perihypoglossal projection to the superior colliculus in the rhesus monkey. Visual Neuroscience, 4: 29-42, 1990.
 
May, P.J., R. Hartwich-Young, J. Nelson, D.L. Sparks, and J. D. Porter. Cerebellotectal pathways in the macaque: Implications for collicular generation of saccades. Neuroscience, 36: 305-324, 1990.
 
Sparks, D.L., Lee, C. and Rohrer, W.H. Population coding of the direction, amplitude, and velocity of saccadic eye movements by neurons in the superior colliculus. Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology, LV, 1990, p. 805-811.
 
Jay, M.F. and D.L. Sparks. Localization of auditory and visual targets for the initiation of saccadic eye movements. In: Comparative Perception. Vol. I: Basic Mechanisms. edited by M. Berkley and W. Stebbins, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1990, pp. 351-374.
 
Sparks, D.L. and L.E. Mays. Signal transformations required for the generation of saccadic eye movements. Ann. Rev. Neurosc., 13: 309-336, 1990.
 
Sparks, D. The coding of information about saccade direction, amplitude and velocity by neuronal populations in the superior colliculus of rhesus monkeys. In Sensory Processing in the Mammalian Brain - Neural Substrates and Experimental Strategies, J. S. Lund, ed., Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford, 1989.
 
Sparks, D.L. and R. Hartwich-Young. The deeper layers of the superior colliculus. Rev. Oculomotor Res., The Neurobiology of Saccadic Eye Movements. R. H. Wurtz & M.E. Goldberg, Eds., Elsevier Science Publishers, 1989, pp. 213-255.
 
Sparks, D.L. Neural commands for the control of saccadic eye movements: Required transformations of signals observed in the superior colliculus. In: Neural Programming, Taniguchi Symposia on Brain Sciences No. 12. M. Ito, Ed., Japan Scientific Societies Press, Tokyo, 1989. pp. 125-136.
 
Sparks, D.L. The neural encoding of the location of targets for saccadic eye movements. J. Exp. Biol., 146, 195-207, 1989.
 
Sparks, D.L.. Neural cartography: Sensory and motor maps in the superior colliculus. Br. Beh. Evol., 31: 49-56, 1988.
 
Lee, C., W.H. Rohrer and D.L. Sparks. Population coding of saccadic eye movements by neurons in the superior colliculus. Nature, 332, 357-360, 1988.
 
Sparks, D.L. Saccadic command signals in the superior colliculus: Implications for sensorimotor transformations. Canad. J. Physiol. Pharm., 66: 527-531, 1988.
 
Jay, M.F. and D.L. Sparks. Sensorimotor integration in the primate superior colliculus: I. Motor convergence. J. Neurophysiol., 57: 22-34, 1987.
 
Jay, M.F. and D.L. Sparks. Sensorimotor integration in the primate superior colliculus: II. Coordinates of auditory signals. J. Neurophysiol., 57: 35-55, 1987.
 
Sparks, D. & M. Jay. The role of the primate superior colliculus in sensorimotor integration. In: Vision, Brain and Cooperative Computation, M.A. Arbib and A.R. Hanson, Eds., The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1987.
 
Sparks, D. & J.Nelson. Sensory and motor maps in the mammalian superior colliculus. TINS, 10: 312-17, 1987.
 
Sparks, D.L., L.E. Mays, and J.D. Porter. Eye movements induced by pontine stimulation: Interaction with visually-triggered saccades. J. Neurophysiol., 58: 300-318, 1987.
 
Sparks, D.L.. The neural translation of sensory signals into commands for the control of saccadic eye movements: The role of the primate superior colliculus. Physiological Reviews, 66: 118-171, 1986.
 
Sparks, D.L. & M.F. Jay. The functional organization of the primate superior colliculus: A motor perspective. Progress in Brain Research, H.-J. Freund, U. Buttner, B. Cohen and J. North, Eds., 64:235-241, 1986.
 
Sparks, D.L., L.E. Mays, M.R. Gurski and T.L. Hickey. Long-term and short-term monocular deprivation in the rhesus monkey: Effects on visual fields and optokinetic nystagmus. J. Neuroscience, 6: 1771-1795, 1986.
 
Sparks, D.L., M.R. Gurski, L.E. Mays and T.L. Hickey. Effects of long-term monocular deprivation upon oculomotor function in the rhesus monkey. In. Adaptive Processes in Visual and Oculomotor Systems, E.L. Keller and D.S. Zee, eds., 1986.
 
Porter, J.D., B.L. Guthrie, and D.L. Sparks. Selective retrograde transneuronal transport of wheat germ agglutinin-conjugated horseradish perioxidase in the oculomotor system. Exp. Brain Res., 57: 411-416, 1985.
 
Jay, M.F. and D.L. Sparks. Auditory receptive fields in the primate superior colliculus that shift with changes in eye position. Nature 309: 345-347, 1984. 
 
Guillery, R.W., T. Hickey, J.Kaas, D.Felleman, E.Debruyn & D. Sparks. Abnormal central visual pathways in the brain of an albino green monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops). J. Comp. Neurol. 226: 165-183, 1984.
 
Sparks, D.L. and L.E. Mays. The spatial localization of saccade targets. I: Compensation for stimulation-induced perturbations in eye position. J. Neurophysiol. 49: 45-63, 1983.
 
Sparks, D.L. and J.D. Porter. The spatial localization of saccade targets. II: Activity of superior colliculus neurons preceding compensatory saccades. J. Neurophysiol. 49: 64-74, 1983.
 
Porter, J.D., B.L. Guthrie & D.L. Sparks. Innervation of monkey extraocular muscles: Localization of sensory and motor neurons by retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase. J. Comp. Neurol. 218: 208-219, 1983.
 
Guthrie, B.L., J.D. Porter, and D.L. Sparks. Corollary discharge provides accurate eye position information to the oculomotor system. Science. 221: 1193-1195, 1983.
 
Sparks, D.L. and L.E. Mays. The role of the monkey superior colliculus in the spatial localization of saccade targets. In: Spatially Oriented Behavior, A. Hein and M. Jeannerod (Eds.), Springer-Verlag, New York, 1983, pp. 63-86.
 
Mays, L.E. and D.L. Sparks. The localization of saccade targets using a combination of retinal and eye position information. In: Progress in Oculomotor Research, A. Fuchs and W. Becker (Eds.), Elsevier, New York, 1981, pp. 39-47.
 
Sparks, D.L. and L.E. Mays. The role of the monkey superior colliculus in the control of saccadic eye movements: A current perspective. In: Progress in Oculomotor Research, A. Fuchs and W. Becker (Eds.), Elsevier, New York, 1981, pp. 137-144.
 
Mays, L.E. and D.L. Sparks. Dissociation of visual and saccade-related responses in superior colliculus. J. Neurophysiol., 43: 207-232, 1980.
 
Mays, L.E. & D.L. Sparks. Saccades are spatially, not retinocentrically, coded. Science, 208: 1163-1165, 1980.
 
Sparks, D.L. and L.E. Mays. Movement fields of saccade-related burst neurons in the monkey superior colliculus. Brain Research, 190: 39-50, 1980.
 
Sparks, D.L., J.G. Pollack and L. Mays. Properties of saccade-related unit activity in the monkey superior colliculus. In: Frontiers in Visual Science. Springer Series in Optical Sciences. Cool and Smith, Eds., Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg-New York, 1978, pp. 449-459.
 
Sparks, D.L.. Functional properties of neurons in the monkey superior colliculus: Coupling of neuronal activity and saccade onset. Brain Research, 156: 1-16, 1978.
 
Sparks, D.L. and J.G. Pollack. The neural control of saccadic eye movements: The role of the superior colliculus. In: Eye Movements, Edited by Brooks and Bajandas. Plenum Press, New York, 1977.
 
Sparks, D.L., L. Mays and J.G. Pollack. Saccade-related unit activity in the monkey superior colliculus. In: Control of Gaze by Brain Stem Neurons, Developments in Neuroscience, Vol. I, Edited by Baker and Berthoz. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1977.
 
Sparks, D.L., R. Holland and B.L. Guthrie. Size and distribution of movement fields in monkey superior colliculus. Brain Research, 113: 21-34, 1976.
 
Graham, B.V., R. Holland and D.L. Sparks. Relative spectral sensitivity to short wavelength light in the peripheral visual field. Vision Research, 15: 313-316, 1975.
 
Sparks, D.L. and R. Holland. Computer control of eye position and velocity. Behavior Research Methods & Instrumentation, 7: 115-119, 1975.
 
Sparks, D.L., G. Corssen, B. Aizeman and J. Black. Further studies of the neural mechanisms of ketamine-induced anesthesia in the rhesus monkey. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 54: 189-197, 1975.
 
Sparks, D.L.. Response properties of eye movement-related neurons in the monkey superior colliculus. Brain Research, 90: 147-152, 1975.
 
Sparks, D.L. and J.P. Sides. Brain stem unit activity related to horizontal eye movements occurring during visual tracking. Brain Research, 77: 320-325, 1974.
 
Sparks, D.L. and R.P. Travis. Firing patterns of extrapyramidal and reticular neurons of the alert monkey. In: Brain Unit Activity During Behavior. M. Ian Phillips, Ed., Charles C. Thomas, Publisher, Springfield, 1973, 288-300.
 
Sparks, D.L., G. Corssen, J. Sides, J. Black and A. Kholeif. Ketamine-induced anesthesia: Neural mechanisms in the rhesus monkey. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 52: 288-297, 1973.
 
Healey, C.T. and D.L. Sparks. A method of interfacing a small computer with psychological experiments. J. Exp. Anal. of Beh., 15: 4043-4040, 1971.
 
Sparks, D.L. and R.P. Travis. Firing patterns of reticular formation neurons during horizontal eye movements. Brain Research, 33: 477-481, 1971.
 
Andy, O.J., Koshino, K., Nelson, S.R., Gibbs, J.T. and D.L. Sparks. Septum after-discharges and associated arterial pressure responses. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol, 24:357-64, 1968.
 
Travis, R.P. and D.L. Sparks. Unitary responses and discrimination learning in the squirrel monkey: The globus pallidus. Physiol. Behav. 3: 187-196, 1968.
 
Travis, R.P., D.L. Sparks and T.F. Hooten. Single unit responses related to sequences of food motivated behavior by food reward. Physiol. Behav., 4: 309-318, 1968.
 
Sparks, D.L. and R.P. Travis. Patterns of reticular unit activity observed during the performance of a discriminative task. Physiol. Behav., 3: 961-968, 1968.
 
Travis, R.P. and D.L. Sparks. Changes in unit activity during stimuli associated with food and shock reinforcement. Physiol. Behav., 2: 171-177, 1967.
 
Sparks, D.L. and R.P. Travis. A head-mounted manipulator for chronic single unit recording from the squirrel monkey. Physiol. Behav., 2: 449-451, 1967.
 
Sparks, D.L. and R.P. Travis. Hippocampal influences on septal unit activity. Ala. J. Med. Sci., 4: 151-156, 1967.
 
Sparks, D.L. and R.P. Travis. Single unit activity during behavioral conditioning: Arousal effects. Life Sciences, 6: 2497-2503, 1967.
 
Sparks, D.L. and E.W. Powell. Interaction of evoked potentials in the anterior thalamus of the cat. Electroenceph. Clin. Neurophysiol, 20: 470-474, 1966.
 
Foshee, D.P. and D.L. Sparks. Electrophysiological correlates of intracranial self-stimulation. Ala. J. of Med. Sci., 2: 410-24, 1965.
 
Travis, R.P. and D.L. Sparks. The use of unilateral and bilateral spreading depression during learning upon subsequent relearning. J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol., 65: 56-59, 1963.
 
Siegel, P.S. and D.L. Sparks. Irrelevant aversive stimulation as an activator of an appetitional response: A replication. Psychol. Reports, 9: 700, 1961.