title: Functional contribution of medial premotor cortex to visuo-spatial transformation in humans.
abstract: This paper examines the functional contribution of medial premotor cortex, the supplementary motor area (SMA), to visuo-spatial transformation. Previous studies have found evidence of activation in SMA using 'mental rotation' tasks in which subjects make mirror-image judgements about simultaneously presented depth rotated novel forms. This manipulation induces potential confounds in the cognitive demands of the task in addition to spatial normalization processes. We clarify the role of SMA in visuo-spatial normalization using functional magnetic resonance imaging with a sequential mirror-image judgement task involving 2D image-plane rotated forms. The results show preferential activation of pre-SMA, as well as the ventrolateral prefrontal and parietal cortex during the visuo-spatial transformation of mirror-image stimuli.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Wales, Penrallt Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK. s.johnston@bangor.ac.uk
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: E Charles
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Leek
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Atherton
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thacker
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology