Astereopsis induced by repetitive magnetic stimulation of occipital cortex.
Three healthy subjects underwent repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (20 Hz, 1 s) with a round oil-cooled coil held tangentially against the skull surface 3 or 4 cm above the inion, while viewing a random-dot stereogram through red-green glasses. The coil was positioned over the midline of the bilateral superior occipital lobes. All three subjects experienced loss of stereoscopic perception during stimulation. A stimulus duration of more than 0.2 s and a stimulus frequency of more than 10 Hz seem to be necessary to disrupt the cortical mechanisms involved in global stereopsis. Repetitive magnetic stimulation easily and painlessly produced a reversible disturbance in global stereopsis. The results suggest that the bilateral superior occipital cortices are involved in the perception of global stereopsis.
Takayama
Y
Y
Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Sugishita
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D003867:Depth Perception; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation