Volume 6, Number 6, Abstract 822, Page 822a doi:10.1167/6.6.822 http://journalofvision.org/6/6/822/ ISSN 1534-7362
The role of MT and the parietal lobe in visual tracking studied with transcranial magnetic stimulation
Lorella Battelli
Laboratory for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, MA USA, and Department of Psychology, Harvard University, MA, USA
[e-mail]
George Alvarez
Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Thomas Carlson
Helmholtz Institute, Psychonomics Division, Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands, and Department of Psychology, Harvard University, MA, USA
Alvaro Pascual-Leone
Laboratory for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, MA USA
Abstract

Recent psychophysical and patient work suggests there are independent attentive tracking systems for the left and right visual hemifields. Although neuroimaging has identified cortical regions involved in tracking (e.g., MT and IPS), it remains unclear how these areas contribute to the hemifield effects observed in psychophysical and patient studies. To address this issue, we used fMRI to localize area MT and the area of parietal cortex that is active during tracking (IPS), then used 1Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to temporarily suppress activity in area MT or in IPS while observers tracked moving objects. Method: 8 discs moved around (4 in each hemifield). In the unilateral condition, observers tracked 2 items on the left or 2 items on the right. In the bilateral condition, observers tracked 4 items (2 left and 2 right). Unilateral Results: Following rTMS to either MT or IPS, tracking accuracy was relatively worse for targets in the contralateral hemifield than for targets in the ipsilateral hemifield. Bilateral Results: Following rTMS to IPS, the pattern of results was in the same direction as in unilateral condition, but the difference was larger. However, following rTMS to MT, accuracy was greater in the contralateral hemisphere than in the ipsilateral hemisphere. Conclusion: At least two areas within the network underlying attentive tracking (IPS and MT) show robust hemifield effects. Moreover, area MT and IPS are differently involved in tracking; there was a dramatic, qualitative difference between unilateral and bilateral conditions for MT, but only a magnitude difference for IPS.
supported by NEI EY15960 to LB

History
Received March 23, 2006; published June 1, 2006
Citation
Battelli, L., Alvarez, G., Carlson, T., & Pascual-Leone, A. (2006). The role of MT and the parietal lobe in visual tracking studied with transcranial magnetic stimulation [Abstract]. Journal of Vision, 6(6):822, 822a, http://journalofvision.org/6/6/822/, doi:10.1167/6.6.822.
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