relation: http://eprints.imtlucca.it/2934/
title: Functional inhibition of the human middle temporal cortex affects non-visual motion perception: a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation study during tactile speed discrimination
creator: Ricciardi, Emiliano
creator: Basso, Demis
creator: Sani, Lorenzo
creator: Bonino, Daniela
creator: Vecchi, Tomaso
creator: Pietrini, Pietro
creator: Miniussi, Carlo
subject: RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
description: 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.
publisher: SAGE
date: 2011-02
type: Article
type: PeerReviewed
identifier:   Ricciardi, Emiliano and Basso, Demis and Sani, Lorenzo and Bonino, Daniela and Vecchi, Tomaso and Pietrini, Pietro and Miniussi, Carlo  Functional inhibition of the human middle temporal cortex affects non-visual motion perception: a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation study during tactile speed discrimination.  Experimental Biology and Medicine, 236 (2).  pp. 138-144.  ISSN 1535-3702      (2011)  
relation: http://ebm.sagepub.com/content/236/2/138
relation: 10.1258/ebm.2010.010230