An examination of the variables that affect express saccade generation

The frequency with which express saccades are generated under a variety of conditions in rhesus monkeys was examined. Increasing the gap time between fixation spot termination and target onset increased express saccade frequency but was progressively less effective in doing so as the number of target positions in the sample was increased. Express saccades were rarely produced when two targets were presented simultaneously and the choice of either of which was rewarded; a temporal asynchrony of only 17 ms between the targets reinstated express saccade generation. Express saccades continued to be generated when the vergence or pursuit systems was coactivated with the saccadic system.