Deficits in reach target selection during inactivation of the midbrain superior colliculus

Purposive action requires the selection of a single movement goal from multiple possibilities. Neural structures involved in movement planning and execution often exhibit activity related to target selection. A key question is whether this activity is specific to the type of movement produced by the structure, perhaps consisting of a competition among effector-specific movement plans, or whether it constitutes a more abstract, effector-independent selection signal. Here, we show that temporary focal inactivation of the primate superior colliculus (SC), an area involved in eye-movement target selection and execution, causes striking target selection deficits for reaching movements, which cannot be readily explained as a simple impairment in visual perception or motor execution. This indicates that target selection activity in the SC does not simply represent a competition among eye-movement goals and, instead, suggests that the SC contributes to a more general purpose priority map that influences target selection for other actions, such as reaches.