Blinking is semi-voluntary. You can stop or start blinking voluntarily but most of the time it is not initiated with conscious awareness.
As such the CNS control of it is multi-faceted and complex. The globus pallidus in the basal ganglia is the main center of control and bilateral coordination of blinking (to directly answer your question), but there are connections to the occipital lobe (vision center), evidenced by the involuntary blink associated with rapid movement towards the eyes as a protective measure, as well as to the orbitofrontal cortex which is involved in cognitive processing, and likely the conscious “override” necessary to win a staring contest.
neek555 t1_itpf4ya wrote
Reply to If each side of our body is controlled by the opposite brain hemisphere, how do we blink in sync? by killians1978
Blinking is semi-voluntary. You can stop or start blinking voluntarily but most of the time it is not initiated with conscious awareness.
As such the CNS control of it is multi-faceted and complex. The globus pallidus in the basal ganglia is the main center of control and bilateral coordination of blinking (to directly answer your question), but there are connections to the occipital lobe (vision center), evidenced by the involuntary blink associated with rapid movement towards the eyes as a protective measure, as well as to the orbitofrontal cortex which is involved in cognitive processing, and likely the conscious “override” necessary to win a staring contest.