title: Visual short-term memory of stimulus velocity in patients with unilateral posterior brain damage.
abstract: Neurophysiological studies indicate the existence of an area in the extrastriate monkey cortex specialized for the processing of stimulus motion. The present investigation was conducted to determine whether a homologous area exits in the human cortex that underlies the processing and short-term storage of velocity information. Contrast detection and velocity discrimination thresholds were measured in a group of 23 patients with unilateral focal damage to either the lateral occipital, temporal, or posterior parietal cortex. Their results were compared to those of 23 age-matched control subjects. Detection and discrimination thresholds were determined for spatially truncated sinewave gratings presented 4 degrees eccentric of fixation randomly in either the left and right visual fields. Contrast detection thresholds were measured in a spatial two-alternative forced-choice paradigm for three different drift rates (1, 2, and 4 Hz) for leftward and rightward drift directions. Simultaneous velocity discrimination thresholds were determined for reference and test gratings presented 4 degrees left and right of fixation. Sequential velocity discrimination thresholds were measured using a delay, with a interstimulus interval (ISIs) of 1, 3, and 10 sec. In a subset of five patients with superior temporal lobe damage, spatial frequency discrimination thresholds for stationary gratings were also determined. The results indicate the following: (1) contrast detection thresholds for drifting gratings did not significantly differ between the patient and control groups; (2) velocity discrimination thresholds were significantly elevated in the patients; (3) velocity discrimination thresholds significantly increased with increasing ISI in the patients; (4) velocity discrimination thresholds were elevated most when the patients had a lesion in the superior temporal cortex; (5) in the subgroup of five patients with superior temporal lobe damage, spatial frequency discrimination thresholds were not significantly elevated. The results suggest that there is a visual area in the human posterior temporal cortex that is involved in the processing and short-term storage of the velocity of moving visual stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Neurologische Universitätsklinik, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Greenlee
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mergner
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Seeger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002538:Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D008875:Middle Aged; D009039:Motion Perception; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013998:Time Perception