@article{eprints2934,
          volume = {236},
           month = {February},
          number = {2},
           pages = {138--144},
           title = {Functional inhibition of the human middle temporal cortex affects non-visual motion perception: a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation study during tactile speed discrimination},
            year = {2011},
         journal = {Experimental Biology and Medicine},
       publisher = {SAGE},
          author = {Emiliano Ricciardi and Demis Basso and Lorenzo Sani and Daniela Bonino and Tomaso Vecchi and Pietro Pietrini and Carlo Miniussi},
             url = {http://eprints.imtlucca.it/2934/},
        abstract = {The visual motion-responsive middle temporal complex (hMT+) is activated during tactile and aural motion discrimination in both sighted and congenitally blind individuals, suggesting a supramodal organization of this area. Specifically, non-visual motion processing has been found to activate the more anterior portion of the hMT+. In the present study, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) was used to determine whether this more anterior portion of hMT+ truly plays a functional role in tactile motion processing. Sixteen blindfolded, young, healthy volunteers were asked to detect changes in the rotation velocity of a random Braille-like dot pattern by using the index or middle finger of their right hand. rTMS was applied for 600 ms (10 Hz, 110\% motor threshold), 200 ms after the stimulus onset with a figure-of-eight coil over either the anterior portion of hMT+ or a midline parieto-occipital site (as a control). Accuracy and reaction times were significantly impaired only when TMS was applied on hMT+, but not on the control area. These results indicate that the recruitment of hMT+ is necessary for tactile motion processing, and thus corroborate the hypothesis of a ?supramodal? functional organization for this sensory motion processing area.}
}