Evidence for interhemispheric motor-level transfer in a simple reaction time task: an EEG study.
Simple visuomanual reaction time tasks require interhemispheric communication when stimuli are presented in the hemifield opposite the responding hand. Although confirmed in many studies, it is still a matter of debate when, at what functional level and at what site this interhemispheric transfer takes place. To address these questions, we recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) in 12 healthy subjects performing such a task and analyzed the data using techniques based on topographic ERP map characteristics. A method which has proved useful for associating ERP map configurations of different time periods with functional states of the brain was supplemented by a source localization procedure. The results suggest that transfer occurs late in time, on a functional motor level and at frontal sites, at least for left-to-right interhemispheric direction of transfer.
Thut
G
G
Faculty of Psychology, University of Geneva, CH-1227 Carouge, Switzerland. gregor.thut@hcuge.ch
Hauert
C A
CA
Morand
S
S
Seeck
M
M
Landis
T
T
Michel
C
C
D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values