title: The role of the right dorsal premotor cortex in visuomotor learning: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study.
abstract: To study the role of the right dorsal premotor cortex in visuomotor association learning (association of four visual stimuli to four buttons), transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied to this area to interfere with the ongoing learning processes. Two transcranial magnetic stimulation pulses to the right dorsal premotor cortex at 150 and 200 ms after onset of the imperative stimulus resulted in the abolishing of reaction time decreases during learning. Transcranial magnetic stimulation applied to a control region revealed no influence on reaction time decreases. During both conditions, however, there were similar increases of accuracy scores. We conclude that the right dorsal premotor cortex is not directly involved in associating visual with motor cues. We suggest that this area is intimately involved in selection and preparation of forthcoming movements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland. e.praeg@psychologie.unizh.ch
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Praeg
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Herwig
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jancke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D001245:Association Learning / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003463:Cues; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000528:radiation effects; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000528:radiation effects; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation