Contralateral neglect induced by right posterior parietal rTMS in healthy subjects.
We applied repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in order to induce interference on visuo-spatial perception in 11 healthy subjects. Subjects performed a visuo-spatial task requiring judgements about the symmetry of prebisected lines. Visual stimuli consisted of symmetrically or asymmetrically transected lines, tachystoscopically presented for 50 ms on a computer-monitor. Performance was examined in basal condition and during rTMS trains of 10 stimuli at 25 Hz, delivered through a focal coil over right or left posterior parietal cortex (P5 and P6 sites) and triggered synchronously with visual stimulus. Randomly intermixed sham rTMS trains were employed to control for non-specific effects. Right parietal rTMS induced a significant rightward bias in symmetry judgements as compared with basal and sham rTMS conditions. No differences emerged between other conditions.
Fierro
B
B
Neurophysiological Unit, Institute of Neuropsychiatry, University of Palermo, Italy.
Brighina
F
F
Oliveri
M
M
Piazza
A
A
La Bua
V
V
Buffa
D
D
Bisiach
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000377:Agnosia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*