Functional anatomy of top-down visuospatial processing in the human brain: evidence from rTMS.
The hypothesis was tested that visuospatial mental imagery relies on processing in the posterior parietal lobe. Using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in a cross-over, sham-controlled design, we compared involvement of right posterior parietal cortex with primary visual cortex. Subjects received rTMS over the parietal and occipital cortices during 20 min, after which they performed a behaviorally controlled visuospatial mental imagery task. Performance deteriorated significantly after rTMS over the parietal, but not occipital, cortex. These data support a causal link between parietal activation and top-down spatial processing.
Aleman
André
A
Helmholtz Instituut, Psychological Laboratory, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 2, Utrecht, The Netherlands. a.aleman@fss.uu.nl
Schutter
Dennis J L G
DJ
Ramsey
Nick F
NF
van Honk
Jack
J
Kessels
Roy P C
RP
Hoogduin
Johannes M
JM
Postma
Albert
A
Kahn
René S
RS
de Haan
Edward H F
EH
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination / Q000502:physiology*; D008280:Magnetics; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology