Tactile form and location processing in the human brain.
To elucidate the neural basis of the recognition of tactile form and location, we used functional MRI while subjects discriminated gratings delivered to the fingertip of either the right or left hand. Subjects were required to selectively attend to either grating orientation or grating location under identical stimulus conditions. Independent of the hand that was stimulated, grating orientation discrimination selectively activated the left intraparietal sulcus, whereas grating location discrimination selectively activated the right temporoparietal junction. Hence, hemispheric dominance appears to be an organizing principle for cortical processing of tactile form and location.
Van Boven
Robert W
RW
Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Ingeholm
John E
JE
Beauchamp
Michael S
MS
Bikle
Philip C
PC
Ungerleider
Leslie G
LG
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D046709:Pattern Recognition, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*